Roy Lichtenstein(Abstract Expressionism & Pop Art) 

Roy Lichtenstein (1923 – 1997) was an American pop artist known for comic book painting style. Along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and James Rosenquist, he became a leading figure in the Pop Art movement in 1960s.

Whaam! (1963)

Drowning Girl (1963)

 

Lichtenstein’s comic style works emphasized on the use of Ben-Day dots,  other consistent patterns,  flat colours and clean outlines. Some of his most famous works were Whaam! (1963) and Drowning Girl (1963). Lichtenstein was also known for his Brushstrokes series where he used brushstroke as a subject matter. In this series of paintings, he continued to experiment with comic cartoon style and its mechanically produced appearance.

Brushstrokes (1965) from the Brushstroke Series (1/3)

Brushstrokes (1965) from the Brushstroke Series (2/3)

Brushstrokes (1967) from the Brushstroke Series (3/3)

Since the art audience in the 60s were not familiar with the commercial industry and comic books, some critics were rather harsh on his works as they refused to categorize his works as art. Another controversy surrounded the idea of him merely copying comic cartoons. Despite public’s criticism, Lichtenstein believed that he wasn’t simply reproducing illustrations from comic book panels. Rather, he was attempting to broaden subject matter by introducing comic style in the art community. Lichtenstein also believed that his paintings had no inherent social message or representation of his inner mind.

 

References:

https://www.theartstory.org/artist-lichtenstein-roy.htm

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

https://www.moma.org/artists/3542