Landscape 8
Landscape 8
Signed Mixed Media
Roy Lichtenstein
Mixed Media, 1967
Signed Mixed Media Edition of 100
H 50cm x W 28cm
Critical Review
Roy Lichtenstein's artistic practice has always been fuelled by a simultaneous yearning for innovation and retrospection. Shortly after establishing himself as a trailblazer of Pop Art, the artist turned his attention to the conventions of landscape painting. He worked on his Landscapes, Moonscapes and Seascapes for over three decades. As part of the extensive project, the artist completed several autonomous portfolios.
Landscape 8 from 1967 belongs to the Ten Landscapes suite. The print consists of two conjoined images. The upper half of the composition presents a subtle moon-like shape, blending seamlessly into a stark black background. Below, Lichtenstein inserts the cut out of a swirling element laid across the shimmery illustration of water. Landscape 8 conjures a striking waterscape, recognisable yet entirely unrealistic. Lichtenstein generates a fictitious nature scene, similar to the absurdist dreamscapes of his Surrealist series.
The plastic Rowlux and Mylar sheets employed in the making of this print generate the prismatic effect of changing light and fluctuating movement. The fabric creates an industrial aesthetic, as well as textural and spatial interplays. Lichtenstein’s quest to invoke illusionistic effects using experimental materials continued throughout his career. For instance, he pursued comparable plays on perception and reflectivity in his intricate Mirrors and later Water Lilies.
