The individual as the object of desire in consumer society and his appearance in pop art

With the development of industry after World War II, the resulting cultural changes laid the groundwork for the formation of a consumer society, and the rise of popular culture elements began to influence social lifestyles. The new social parameters that emerged during and after the 1960s brought about transformation and change. Traditional societies were introduced to these new structures of mass and media culture, and as they took steps toward modernization, they began to adopt consumption-oriented behaviors rather than focusing on production, influenced by industrialization. Within this chaos and abundance of consumption, the individual transformed into a desiring object—consuming endlessly and being consumed in turn. This system comprises a set of structures that define and limit individuals in advance, instilling in them a kind of consumption instinct. Every produced object functions as a signifier, acting as an external power object—or sometimes an extension—that directs the individual. Objects are presented to people as absolute sources of happiness, and at this point, the individual continually becomes a desiring object that craves these objects. With the socio-economic developments of the 20th century, the United States asserted its power and influence over the world, becoming the central force of the capitalist system. American culture, which had a consumption-oriented infrastructure with all its possibilities, also deeply influenced the art scene. Although the Pop Art movement originated in England, the United States became the country where this movement had the greatest impact. The inclusion of everyday life and popular culture elements into art and the strengthening of Pop Art in America is not a coincidence. The growing power and popularity of the capitalist system, and the transformation of consumer objects into commodity elements, make this development more comprehensible. Pop Art emerges as an art movement that reflects the reality of its time, externalizing the elements of consumer society. One of the core principles of Pop Art is that the artist, as a part of this society, reflects this reality by existing within mass culture and consumer society. This study aims to reveal the domination created by mass culture and capitalist elements over the individual, and to examine how this is reflected in Pop Art.