Roy Lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein

During the 1950's, Pop Art became very popular due to the post war effects. Both Britain and America were influenced by each other's ideas on the 'American Dream', whilst America was living it, Britain could only ponder from afar. Because of this Pop Art became very influential from the culture of America. Most artists were inspired by movies, celebrities, advertisements, comic books and television. As artists set out to change the definitive description of 'high' art and 'low' culture, they sourced their subject matter from items and situations commonly found throughout their daily lives. This was the case for the artist Roy Lichtenstein.

Roy Fox Lichtenstein was an American pop artist. During 1960's, among other artist such as Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns etc... he became a leading figure within the Pop Art movement. His work was defined by events that happen around him, often described as parody. Lichtenstein was inspired by comic books which eh used precise compositions that documented these parodies. As he painted strips of comics, washing machines and baked potatoes, people saw these as arrogant and vapid when they first appeared in the New York art world in 1960's. Although Lichtenstein was best known as a painter, he worked various other medias: sculpture, murals, prints and ceramics. 'looking for a tawdry type of commercialism as found in the Yellow Pages of the telephone directory. They were a great source of inspiration to me.' - Roy Lichtenstein (Tate). As artists, including Lichtenstein himself, perused other sources of subject matter which critics saw as a lack of 'artistic' skill. People were offended by his use of commercial objects as subject matter. Lichtenstein limited his use of colours to imitate the four colours of printer's ink: cyan, magenta, yellow, black. He also used Ben Day dots, a system of dots that was devised to increase the tonal range in printing. Lichtenstein was most famous for his use of comic strips from American comic books. While these originated in 1933, they only began gaining popularity after 1938 when action comics were introduced with the debut of Superman. This was followed with a superhero boom which lasted till the end of World War 2. After the was the comic book industry began to rapidly expand into genres such as romance, science fiction, horror and crime. During the 1950's comic books saw a decline as the television was introduced. But late 1950's saw a revival in comics, especially superheros and they remain a dominant character of the 21st century. "Actually, I love the Abstract Expressionists - or I like the ones I like, anyway." - Roy Lichtenstein.
  

  

This piece by Roy Lichtenstein is titled 'M-Maybe', 1965. It contains an image of a woman with a concerned expression with the words 'm-maybe he became ill and couldn't leave the studio'. This context was common during the 1950's to 1960's as the woman was seen a lesser being to the man. This defined the woman's role to cooking, cleaning and looking after the kids in ordinary lives. However with Lichtenstein's parody, the woman is seen a weak and feeble as well as jealous yest unable to do anything. This was seen throughout comic books as the woman was portrayed as the 'damsel in distress'. Due to the social standing of a woman, the men were seen as dominant and powerful compared to the weak woman. This changed until the Second World War when women were allowed to work more labour intensive jobs due to the lack of men. Within this piece the woman is presented as somewhat jealous due to her facial and her thoughts. On the other hand it is seems that the woman doesn't want to believe the man in question is cheating, even though it was common. As Roy Lichtenstein used parodies of the real world, this piece can be seen to be mocking the woman. Throughout all Lichtenstein's work the facial expressions are exaggerated however within this piece it is dulled down. I believe Lichtenstein was aiming to give a subtle expression to emphasise her torment between conflicting emotions. This adds a sense of sympathy towards the woman as she is conflicted with her thoughts and feelings making the audience sympathise with her. Moreover the woman can relate to this image as they themselves could have been put in a similar situation. "Pop Art looks out into the world. It doesn't look like a painting of something, it looks like the thing itself." - Roy Lichtenstein. 

Roy Lichtenstein's work continually uses thick bold lines. These defined line outline the image as well as adding shading to various places. Moreover, printer's ink colours have been used which make the image vibrant and eye catching. Also the colours when used in this context create an illusion when using the Ben Day Dots. These dots are spaced apart equally to give the illusion of another colour. Depending on the colour desired, the dots are either place father away from each other or closer together. For example the magenta dots that make up the skin are placed closer together to give the illusion of a pink skin tone. Whilst also using this technique, Lichtenstein has also used block colours, still limited to the printer's ink, to complete this image. By doing this the image becomes striking with contrasting colours placed next to each other. In addition this piece uses bright dramatic colours in the foreground whilst using dark colours int he background. This highlights the character in the front making her the focal point of this piece. "My work isn't about form. It's about seeing." - Roy Lichtenstein.

Overall I enjoyed studying and reviewing Roy Lichtenstein and his work as he uses bright colours as well as a minimalist yet a distinctive style that is recognisable around the world today. Out of the movements I have studied so far, I believe this will be an exciting one to create modern twists on as he was influenced by the culture like we are today. Moreover the inspiration that was only just developing at the time has come a multi million dollar industry today. To recreate Roy Lichtenstein's work will be fun yet a challenge to create as I will have to practice and master the skill of Ben Day Dots and working on a model with paints. 

Quotes from:

https://www.tate.org.uk/art

  https://www.brainyquote.com/

https://artsandculture.google.com/

Pop Art Research

Pop Art

Pop Art started in America with the artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist and Claes Oldenburg. These artists all drew from popular imagery and were part of an international phenomenon. This movement was a follow up of the Abstract Expressionists and Pop Art pushed the boundaries of subject matter, taking inspiration from culture around them. This is perceived to be a major shift in the direction of modernism. The subject matter became far from traditional "high art" with themes of morality, mythology, religion and classic history; instead focusing on culture around them. Movies, celebrities, comics, advertisements and found objects. These were commonplace objects and people of everyday life. The artists were seeking to elevate popular culture to the level of fine art. Moreover, these involved commercial images in the 1950's to the 1960's and in today's culture as well. Pop Art has become one of the most recognisable styles of modern art. "Once you 'got' Pop, you could never see a sign again the same way again. And once you thought Pop, you could never see America the same way again." - Andy Warhol.

Artists created various paintings or sculptures of culture objects and media stars to blur the boundaries between "high" art and "low" culture. This concept was to show that there is no hierarchy of culture and art which can be borrowed from any source. This was very influential at the time. As Pop Art followed from Abstract Expressionists, each movement focused on different subjects. The Expressionists searched for trauma in the soul while Pop artists searched for inspiration in the real world around them, basing it off the idea of living the 'American Dream'. Pop artists believed that everything was linked and sought to make those connections in their work. Pop Art covers a wide variety of work with different attitudes. This is contrasting with the abstract work that preceded it which was "hot" expressionism whereas Pop Art is generally "coolly" ambivalent. This was accepted by the popular world however, to some, it was was seen as a shock. "I don't think about art when I'm working. I try to think about life." - Jean Michel Basquiat. The guardian say "The art, however, was not and is not just about partying." (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/oct/20/pop-art-design-barbican-review)

Pop Art develop within the post-war effects. However Britain and America were effected in different. ways. America's economy was booming due to their weapon trades and involvement in the war. This allowed America's population to live the 'American Dream' and enjoy life in the sun. However over the Atlantic, Britain was suffering the negative effects of war. Ration books were still in use, buildings were destroyed, the economy wasn't developing and the morality of the people was low. Pop Art in Britain was inspired by the American lifestyle as a whole. With its vivid colours and bold outlines, it set an image of prosperity within the minds of the British. However, others were not convinced by Pop Art or art in general as the common person had very little money. With the rise of Pop Art in advertisements and their lives generally, they question whether they could even afford these pieces of work. Pop Art in Britain began in 1952 with a gathering of artists in London calling themselves the Independent Group. They began meeting regularly to discuss topics such as mass culture in fine art, found objects and science and technology. Members included Edouardo Paolozzi, Richard Hamilton etc... As Britain was still emerging from the effects of the post-war years, the people were ambivalent about American popular culture. Whilst the group was suspicious of this, they remained intrigued by Pop Art and its various cultural subjects. "Pop is a re-enlistment in the world...It is the American Dream, optimistic, generous and naïve" - Jim Dine

Pop Art consisted of multiple techniques and styles which varied through artists' work. These techniques were painting, collage, sculpture etc... Each technique was experimented with and used injunction with each other.

Pop Art has multiple characteristics that make up its iconic look: Young - Pop Art was aimed at the young as they were socialising and had the most free time. They spent this time in cinemas, watching television, hanging out in cafes or social areas. This was perfect for advertisers to display their bright vivid Pop Art which caught the eyes of the youngster. Expendable - Pop Art was replaceable in every area. Artists could mass produce images and sell them therefore they would only have to create a certain amount and then move on to a new idea. Moreover adverts were continually advertising new products which required new artwork to replace the old advert. Transient - Pop Art was a short term solution and was easy to produce. This made it easy for artists and advertisers to mass produce work and develop quick unique ideas to catch the eye of its consumers. Low Cost - Pop Art was cheap due to America's invention of the construction line. This enabled mass production of work reducing the cost of the final product. Witty - Pop Art was expressive and bold. Moreover this allowed artists to create witty pieces of work due to the nature of Pop Art. This was achieved by using certain subject matters that were relevant at the time and adding a twist or reference to it. Sexy - Pop Art was sexy due to certain artists. As Pop Art used collage within it, the naked figure was commonly involved within these pieces to present to female. In addition female figures would be drawn more evocatively with accentuated features, appealing to the male fantasy. "Everyone needs a fantasy."- Andy Warhol.

People at the time didn't agree on their opinions of Pop Art. Just like other movements, people like and dislike the art created criticising it and praising it. In the Pop Art movement, the rich were heavily criticising Pop Art as it strayed away from the 'norm'. Paintings were originally created for the powerful, religious reasons or to convey political propaganda (Baroque). However as Pop Art could be mass produced they were cheaper and adapted easily. This benefited companies, media, the public as this artwork could be readily available. Art was becoming to be for everyone rather then the rich. But there was some opposition towards this as the war had frequently ended and rations had nto stopped. This left people wondering why, with the recovering economy, people would produce art to sell when most people couldn't afford it.      

Overall I think Pop Art is an exciting movement to explore. I believe this because Pop Art demonstrates that inspiration can be drawn from emotional and physical items we use and experiences we have. This will allow me to add a contemporary twist to Pop Art as the boundaries are practically limitless within this movement. Also Pop Art is colourful and bright allowing me to use vivid colours and bold outlines unlike the past two movements. Moreover I believe that I am going to enjoy this movement the best as I will be able to draw inspiration from multiple source both physical and emotional. Compared to the last two movements Pop Art involves the use of more colours combined than Surrealism and Baroque. In addition I believe my final outcome will be immediately recognisable to be inspired by Pop Art due to it distinct style whereas the other movements were iconic but perhaps not as internationally renown than Pop Art.

Quotes from:
https://www.tate.org.uk/art
https://www.brainyquote.com/
https://artsandculture.google.com/
       

Pop Art Mindmap

Surrealism Final Photos

Final Photos

When creating my final image, I used various lights and props to create my desired effect. Firstly, I used a pink backdrop to emphasize and add a pastel colour to the image entirely to imitate the Surrealist style. Moreover, I used the studio lights with various additions such as the soft box. This allowed me to direct the light to evenly spread the light over the given area. In addition, I took the photos in portrait and landscape as the composition of each piece was different. The camera set up I used was ISO 400 and the white light was heightened.

Within the first photo I have been able to create a contemporary twist on the usual connotations of an egg. I used egg shells, golf ball and grass to create this piece. By removing the typical outcome of an hatched egg, it creates a unfamiliar feeling that is uncomfortable. I decided to do this as it is impossible for a golf ball to hatch out of an egg. This links into surrealism as two found objects with no or little relevance to one another but into an scenario. This piece is also a reference to Salvador Dali's 'Lobster Telephone'. As both involve sexual connotations like 'speaking into the genitalia lobster' and 'hatching new life', these two pieces are linked. This piece of Dali's inspired me to create this piece as surrealism was inspired by sexual desire and the unconscious. By involving the two elements into one piece I have been able to create an unsettling feeling when viewing it which ignores the natural connotations of an egg. Moreover by using grass instead of a yolk or its whites I am removing the actual life from the egg. This mimics an egg being infertile however it creates an unsettling feeling as something irrelevant has hatched from the egg. By using a golf ball, I am mimicking a yolk of an egg however by replacing it with something irrelevant it creates an unfamiliar sight.    

Within the second photo I have been able to create a contemporary twist on 'found objects' from Surrealism. I decided to use a cherub the appears to have been holding something prior to this photo shoot. However when I bought these cherubs they weren't holding anything. This makes me believe that these cherubs had a previous use than shown in the photo. This develops the 'found object' subtitle as I have been able to re-purpose an already purposeful object. It appears to have been a candle holder that held then as the cherubs stand up when placed on a flat surface. Moreover by pairing this with paint brushes I have been able to re-purpose the cherub but also animate the cherub to a certain extent. This piece is a reference to Salvador Dali's 'Bust of a Woman' as both involve re-purposing objects in the term of art. Dali's representation of this is more figurative and challenges the imagination whereas my contemporary twist is more direct with its link. I decided to paint various brush strokes onto the background as it adds a sense of movement within the piece as it appears the cherub has begun to paint or moved due to the trail of paint. Out of the two final pieces I have created, I believe that the golf ball hatching from the egg best represents Surrealism. 

Both images relate to Surrealism as they both share common characteristics as Surrealism. For example they both involve 'found objects' and resemble the uncanny. This links to Surrealism as it creates the idea of the unconscious mind and unsettling feelings. When carrying out the process of creating these images I encountered a few problems. Firstly when shooting the images lighting was a problem. When I shot my images and uploaded them, they appeared to be darker when displayed on the computer than on the camera. This could have been due to the screen being smaller. I was able to correct this by digitally manipulating the images in Photoshop. Within Photoshop I adjusted the brightness of each image by increasing it to make the image brighter. Another problem I was able to fix with Photoshop was missing background. I was able to adapt my images by cropping them to removed the other coloured background to keep a one coloured backdrop without any kinks or creases in. The other problem I ran into was limited resources. As a class of 15, the cameras were limited so was the space. As there was only one soft box, there was a queue to use it. I was able to use it for most of my photos however when experimenting with the cherub I had to substitute the soft box for the light within the classroom. Also this removed the coloured background as well due to the paper not being big enough. Therefore a few of my photos have a white background. In addition using the studio lighting presented problems as well. As the light was directly above me it cast a shadow over my piece as my arm blocked the light source. 

Overall I think the final photos relates directly to Surrealism and artwork by various artists. I believe I can adapt each piece by adding or removing objects and try different ideas. If I were to do this shoot again i would try using multiple objects that would either replace or change the composition.  Also I would try different ideas and concepts.