Roy Lichtenstein ( 1923-1997)

Research

Roy Lichtenstein was born in 1923 in New York.  He was an American pop artist known for his painting and printmaking.  His first paintings were inspired by comic strips and advertisement imagery.  Lichtenstein worked in a style that imitated newspaper reproduction printing processes:  his large-scale work was composed with Ben-Day dots, a newspaper/comic strip method which denoted gradients and texture.  The 1930s saw the beginnings of his interest in art and design when he was attending New York’s Dwight School.  In 1939, he was instructed by Reginald Marsh in summer classes at the Arts Students League of New York.  During World War II, Lichtenstein was drafted by the US Army, where he was exposed to the works of European masters and contemporary artists.  He returned from the war to America and produced paintings in the Abstract Expressionist style.  Then, his interest in Proto-pop imagery was reignited when he was teaching at Rutgers University in 1960. His first pop paintings were created in 1961 and used cartoon images and techniques inspired by the style of commercial printing.  These were iconic comic strip works that were distinctly different compared to his previous aesthetic.  His motivation was creating work that nobody wanted to hang on their wall.  Lichtenstein gained critical acclaim in the art world when he held his solo show in 1962.  Pop culture themes and the ironic style continued to be the focus of his art for most of his career.  Although, he was able to extend these techniques; his work displayed engaging consideration into art and pop culture.  After the 1960s, Lichtenstein began creating still life and landscape pieces, which was a dramatic difference from his earlier style. Although there was controversy surrounding Lichtenstein’s work and he was labelled a plagiarist, Lichtenstein was able to change the perspective on art and had a lasting influence on the new Pop Art Movement.  

Lichtenstein loved to appropriate images from advertisements and comic books. He was also known for depicting women in tragic situations, a popular theme in his work during the mid-1960s. Drowning Girl was inspired by “Run for Love!,” the main story of a 1962 DC Comics comic book, Secret Love #83. This painting is also known as Secret Hearts or I Don’t Care! I’d Rather Sink. It is oil and sythetic polymer on canvas and is one of the most famous works produced by Lichtenstein.

(I feel like I have to include this sixth image to compare with Lichtenstein’s painting)

Opinion

I agree with common belief that Drowning Girl portrays Lictenstein’s transition in 1961 from animated cartoons to serious themes dealing with romance and wartime armed forces. I love that Lichtenstein chose to focus on the girl in a distraught water scene because it gives the painting room for interpretation. Art that makes the viewer think or evokes emotion is powerful and successful. Critics may have called Lichtenstein a plagiarist, but it is clear to me that he made these art decisions to use pop culture references as a vehicle in communicating relevant messages. Drowning Girl is not even a direct replication of the Run for Love! illustration. You can see that Lichtenstein has deepened the colours for a richer colour scheme, as well as enhanced the contrast. He also translated the waves of the water in a more emphasized style. On the technical side of his work, I really appreciate his clean lines and application of paint. In researching Lichtenstein, I have gained the understanding that art is endless; art inspires art.

Image Credit

Image 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Lichtenstein

Image 4: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/lichtenstein-roy/artworks/

Image 2,3, 5: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20130717-pop-artist-or-copy-cat

Image 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drowning_Girl

Sources

“BIOGRAPHY.” Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, lichtensteinfoundation.org/biography/.

“Drowning Girl.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Nov. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drowning_Girl.

“Is Lichtenstein a Great Modern Artist or a Copy Cat?” BBC Culture, BBC, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20130717-pop-artist-or-copy-cat.

“Roy Lichtenstein.” Roy Lichtenstein Biography – Roy Lichtenstein on Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/roy-lichtenstein/biography.

“Roy Lichtenstein.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Lichtenstein.

“Roy Lichtenstein.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 23 Oct. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Roy-Lichtenstein.

“Roy Lichtenstein Artworks & Famous Paintings.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist/lichtenstein-roy/artworks/.

“Roy Lichtenstein: MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/artists/3542.