Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)

Roy Lichtenstein was an American artist, born in New York in 1923. He is possibly best known for his association with the Pop Art movement. Lichtenstein’s first works, in the 1960s, were paintings that replicated the course printing processes used in the newspaper industry at that time, and the colours and imagery of comics and advertisements (Berman, n.d.)

Emeralds – Roy Lichtenstein (1961)

Emeralds (above) appears to be printed, but Lichtenstein created it using oil paint and graphite pencil on canvas. Later in his career, he would utilise screen printing to create his signature dots and stripes look. His Pop-Art oeuvre became incredibly popular, and he went on from there to create over 5000 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, and murals (Lichtenstein Catalogue, n.d.)

Reflections on Girl – Roy Lichtenstein (1990)

Lithograph, screenprint on paper, and metallised PVC on paper

Lichtenstein and Warhol were both significant icons of the Pop Art movement, in 1974 Warhol visited Lichtenstein at his studio in Southampton, New York. The visit was captured on film and provides an insight into their friendship. It can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmiG-ZNPnRI

Lichtenstein's screen printing aesthetic inspires my printing more than any other artist. I particularly enjoy Lichtenstein's use of large halftone dots and the combination of dots, stripes and bright colours. The multiple layers used, and the differing effects created by printing one colour on differing colour backgrounds are incredible. I aspire to use techniques similar to those he demonstrates so well, but it may be a very long journey.

BERMAN, A., n.d. Biography [viewed 17/11/2024]. Available from: https://lichtensteinfoundation.org/biography/

LICHTENSTEIN, R., 1961. Emeralds [viewed 17/11/2024]. Available from: https://www.lichtensteincatalogue.org/catalogue/entry.php?id=395

LICHTENSTEIN CATALOGUE, n.d. Emeralds 1961[viewed 17/11/2024]. Available from: https://www.lichtensteincatalogue.org/catalogue/entry.php?id=395

LICHTENSTEIN R., 1990. Reflections on Girl [viewed 17/11/2024]. Available from: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lichtenstein-reflections-on-girl-al00369

VERDAD, L., 2024. Andy Warhol Visiting Roy Lichtenstein's Studio (1974) [viewed 17/11/2024]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmiG-ZNPnRI