Lichtenstein – Pop Finds its True Idol

A Retrospective at Tate Modern – Lichtenstein. 

For most of us Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1977) symbolises the epitomy of American pop art along with Andy Warhol. In the 1960’s he broke with the practice of abstract expressionism and set about developing a new conceptual identity based on comic strip culture. He concentrated especially on two great themes romance and war.

Creating large canvases with melodramatic narratives he revelled in showing the moment from which one can unravel “the whole story”. So ‘Drowning Girl‘ for example, is typical and really does pose the question – How did she get to this point?

Later in his career in the mid 1990’s, he turned to the the female form again in the form of the nude and instead of working with models he used his stable of comic heroines and imagined them stripped off their clothes.

‘Blue Nude’ (1995) shows the outcome presenting the girl as desirable & erotic, posing as an object of lust, but at the same time she revels in her hedonistic state.

Lichtenstein was aged 73 when he died of pneumonia, apparently his last utterance was “Well, here I go,” a comment that would have resonated in one of his own speech bubbles.

Sadly most of his best work can only been seen overseas – Art Institute of Chicago

Tate Modern: Exhibition
21 February – 27 May 2013

Posted by: Fawkes