ROY LICHTENSTEIN, FLOWERS, SCREEN PRINT IN COLOURS ON WOVE PAPER, EDITION OF 380, 1973
Roy Lichtenstein’s Flowers from 1973 manifests a colourful cubist excursion into the diverse history of the still life genre. This bright collage of shapes is predicated on the aesthetic legacies of 20th century modern masters.
Lichtenstein embraces the decorative qualities of still lifes but renders his print according to a pronounced commercial aesthetic. The work is self-referential, incorporating the enlarged architectural fragments of the artist’s Entablatures as its backdrop. The print also serves as the inspiration for Lichtenstein’s subsequent Six Still Lifes of 1974.
Flowers employs an airy composition, presenting a modernised and unpolished version of a classical still life painting. The print primarily expands the meaning behind traditional motifs symbolising the temporality of existence. Lichtenstein situates his cubist rendition of a vase filled with vibrant red and yellow flowers in the middle of the canvas. The work’s fractured background is constituted by a mosaic of brilliant colours and rich patterns.
Bursting with bright stylised elements, Flowers delivers a masterful cartoon impression of its chosen subject matter. The work skillfully integrates the formal qualities of modern art with the mechanical properties of printing. Lichtenstein’s still life initiates a playful conversation between his own art and the creative heritage of the 20th century.
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ABOUT ROY LICHTENSTEIN
Born in Manhattan in 1923, Roy Lichtenstein was a leading figure in the Pop Art movement during the second half of the 20th century. His distinctive artistic style is inspired by the visual language of consumerism and advertising that pervaded American popular culture at the time, and his work recalls a society of widespread commercialism that has remained powerfully relevant to this day. Learn more about Roy Lichtenstein.
