I have always been a fan of the Pop Art movement, and I don’t know many people that haven’t heard of, or admire the work of Andy Warhol with his colourful representations of Marilyn Monroe and modern celebrities. What I mostly enjoy about Pop Art is the vibrant colours that transfer you to a different place, a comic-book of sorts that makes you focus on the details of such vibrant imagery.
Oh, Jeff..I Love You, Too…But… 1964
This is exactly what I was expecting from Lichtenstein’s Tate Modern exhibition but I discovered there was much more to it, especially since I had the chance to be part of the amazing pop imagery.
Drowning Girl (1963)
Apart from the most famous and prominent works of Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), I also very much enjoyed following his transition, especially since this is the largest recollection of the artist’s work in over 20 years. To be honest, I would expect a bigger collection, but I understand why this wouldn’t be achievable, the works displayed were borrowed from galleries and private collectors from all over the world.
The little descriptions on each room were short enough to read them all and give you insight, especially for his most famous works of art that were inspired by comic books of the 50s and 60s (like All-American Men and Girls’ Romances), advertising and mass culture imagery. In his earlier works, like Look Mickey and Whaam! he uses primary colours and Benday dots. Apart from transforming comic strips and advertisements he also altered famous works by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.
At the end of the exhibition I was found admiring his Chinese Landscapes, part of his latest works. The simplicity of Chinese art is prominent together with his emphasis on calligraphy. He still uses his trademark dots, but the combination of the serene landscapes and pale and muted palette leaves you calmer as figures and colours fade away.
Image source: http://www.londontown.com/, www.moma.org, www.artfund.org,www.wendistry.com, http://www.gagosian.com/
xo F
(This article was written for HerUni.com)
