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Lot Essay
Roy Lichtenstein’s Forms in Space illustrates his signature style and showcases his pioneering contributions to the Pop Art movement. Created in 1985, this print showcases both Lichtenstein’s mastery of screenprinting techniques and his continuous exploration of popular culture and the influence it had over contemporary art.
Lichtenstein was a prolific printmaker, and his practice progressed alongside his work as both a painting and a sculptor. Forms in Space was created during a period when Lichtenstein was revisiting and reinterpreting some of his earlier works. This print incorporates elements of his iconic Benday dots, which he initially employed in his comic book-inspired paintings of the 1960s. His stylized interpretation of popular culture is meant to highlight its superficiality, while simultaneously blurring the line between mass consumption and high art.
Lichtenstein’s use of American motifs are deliberate and subversive. In this work, he appropriates the image of the American flag and entitles the work ‘Forms in Space’ as a playful jab at the way our popular iconography can be used to create new works of art. The interplay between illusion and reality is a recurring theme in Lichtenstein’s work, and this print is a testament to his ability to reimagine and reinvent, reflecting the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of contemporary art especially during this time period.
Lichtenstein was a prolific printmaker, and his practice progressed alongside his work as both a painting and a sculptor. Forms in Space was created during a period when Lichtenstein was revisiting and reinterpreting some of his earlier works. This print incorporates elements of his iconic Benday dots, which he initially employed in his comic book-inspired paintings of the 1960s. His stylized interpretation of popular culture is meant to highlight its superficiality, while simultaneously blurring the line between mass consumption and high art.
Lichtenstein’s use of American motifs are deliberate and subversive. In this work, he appropriates the image of the American flag and entitles the work ‘Forms in Space’ as a playful jab at the way our popular iconography can be used to create new works of art. The interplay between illusion and reality is a recurring theme in Lichtenstein’s work, and this print is a testament to his ability to reimagine and reinvent, reflecting the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of contemporary art especially during this time period.