ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997)

American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein was best known for his comic style parodies. Lichtenstein’s early life consisted of him going to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, where he would draw life drawings of musicians playing their music. Lichtenstein continued his art studies at the Ohio State University where he graduated and became an art instructor. Lichtenstein also taught at Rutgers University where he was first introduced to pop imagery by his colleague Allan Karpov. 

As a fan of comic books, I really enjoy Roy Lichtenstein’s work. I have been a fan of his work for some time as I dressed up as the “Crying Girl” for Halloween in grade nine. I think the reason why I wanted to dress up like one of Liechtenstein’s screen prints is for the way Lichtenstein is able to capture the beauty of women. Screenprints such as “Crying Girl” 1963 is a simple headshot of a girl crying. However, what I find so captivating about this piece is for the girl’s expression on her face. The girl is model like- similar to Marilyn Monroe and her red lipstick, yet she is expressing sadness. I think Lichtenstein was trying to convey a message of emotion, how even the most beautiful girls in the world can be sad too. Overall I enjoy his style of using flat colours with thick strokes. It helps exemplify the drama Lichtenstein likes to add to his work.