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Roy Lichtenstein

Serene
Nov 7, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Nov 8, 2021

Roy Lichtenstein American 1923/1997

Roy Lichtenstein was one of the most influential and innovative artists of the twentieth century. He is primarily identified with Pop Art, the movement he helped originate. His success came when he created works based on imagery from comic strips and advertisements and rendered in a style mimicking the crude printing processes of newspaper reproduction with flat surfaces, black lines, primary colors and ben day dots. These paintings reinvigorated the American art scene and altered the history of modern art.

He was born in 1923 in New York, into an upper-middle-class family and raised on the Upper West Side. He became interested in art and music at a young age and was an avid jazz fan. As a teenager he frequently went to concerts at the Apollo Theater in Harlem where he sketched the musicians performing. Musical elements are often featured in his paintings. In his last year of high school, he enrolled in summer classes at the Art Students League of New York, but his studies were interrupted when he was drafted and spent three years in the military in Europe during WWII. Upon returning he left New York to study at Ohio State University and went on to teach for a decade.

Lichtenstein was known for his focus and energy, and after his initial success in the early 1960's, he went on to create more than 5,000 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, murals and other objects celebrated for their skill, wit and invention . In 1964, Lichtenstein became the first American to exhibit at the Tate Gallery, London . His works have been massively exhibited and collected by museums and galleries around the world. His most expensive piece , Masterpiece, was sold in 2017 for $165 million dollars by the art collector and patron Agnes Gund , placing it among the highest prices ever paid for an artwork. Ms. Gund auctioned the painting to create the “ Art for Justice Fund” , that supports criminal justice reform and seeks to reduce mass incarceration in the United States.

The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation was created to further the education and promotion of the arts by awarding grants to organizations to assist in research, publication activities and funding acquisitions. The foundation's philanthropic work has extended far beyond those perimeters. In 2017 they donated funds to the Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico to support keeping the museum open as a community resource and refuge during the Puerto Rico recovery period .He received the National Medal of Arts and the Kyoto Prize among many awards, and he was awarded honorary Doctorates from six universities including the Royal College of Art in London.

WEDNESDAY'S CLASS

Mixed Media Collages

This week the classes created pieces in the style of Roy Lichtenstein. His graphic style and use of ben day dot patterns, inspired the class to create their original pieces using his signature primary colors, dots and subject matter. They are a feast for the eyes and each one tells a story. Enjoy!

As part of the process we made ben day like dots by doing rubbings of paper over lego plates with oil pastels. It worked great!

SATURDAY CLASSES

10:00-12:00

Now that there are three classes and a more photos, the posts are best reviewed on a tablet or laptop.

* I do my best to keep track of which photos are for which class, and include all of the art. On occasion there may be a mix up so look for your child's are in the other class.