ROY LICHTENSTEIN1923-1997

An American pop artist

ABOUT ROY LICHTENSTEIN

• Born in New York City on October 27, 1923

• He studied art at Parsons School for design, Ohio State University, and the Art Students league

• Lichtenstein became interested in art while he was a teen

• In 1943 he was drafted and sent to Europe for World War II

• Lichtenstein’s undergraduate degree and master’s degree were both in fine arts

• Lichtenstein passed away in 1997, due to complications from pneumonia

DROWNING GIRL

Roy Lichtenstein, 1963

This popular painting shows a crying woman who looks like she is in the process of being

swallowed by waves. Despite the danger she’s

clearly in, the woman is more concerned with her own

sadness, giving this painting a melodramatic, almost

humorous feeling.

OHHH… ALRIGHT.

Roy Lichtenstein, 1964

This painting shows a woman on the phone, looking upset and disappointed. Due to the context, you can assume this

has happened before. Like Drowning Girl, she appears to be in a melodramatic moment.

WHAAM!

Roy Lichtenstein, 1963

This painting shows a plane blowing up an

enemy. The explosion and the obvious death of the enemy pilot, gives this

painting a tone of darkness and sadness, even with the happy

colors and comic book feeling of this piece.

WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO DO WITH HIS WORK

Lichtenstein wanted to put humor and irony into his art. For example, the speech-bubbles in Lichtenstein's cartoon paintings were usually ironic and overdramatic. His works were also made because of Lichtenstein’s mixed feelings of love and hate for the clichés of modern culture and for his desire to change them.

WHAT WAS IMPORTANT ABOUT LICHTENSTEIN’S WORK

Roy Lichtenstein’s work was important because it helped to lead the pop art movement by borrowing ideas from popular culture. Doing this, he created colorful and often humorous pieces which challenged what people thought of originality, and helping to shape the idea of what it meant to be an artist.

Roy Lichtenstein, 1961

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• http://www.theartstory.org/artist-lichtenstein-roy.htm• http://

www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/lichtenstein-drowning-girl-1963• http://

www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/Lichtenstein/index