ROY LICHTENSTEIN, LANDSCAPE 6, LANDSCAPES, MOONSCAPES AND SEASCAPES, SCREEN PRINT AND CHROMOGENIC PRINT ON WHITE 100% RAG BOARD AND COMPOSITION BOARD WITH ROWLUX, EDITION OF 100, 1967
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 this extensive project, Lichtenstein completed several autonomous portfolios.
Ten Landscapes of 1967 constitute a masterful transformation of landscape imagery. The ten-part suite presents a collection of fictitious nature scenes, condensed into purely associative forms. Despite their simple layout, however, the prints in this grouping have a potent visual impact. They conjure unrealistic terrains and wastelands, similar to the absurdist dreamscapes of Lichtenstein’s Surrealist series.
Landscape 6 shows a black and white canvas split in two by a bold horizon line. The upper half captures a pale turquoise swirling sky set against similarly hued rippling water below. Plastic Rowlux sheets are applied in this print to mimic the shimmer of natural light. The synthetic fabric produces prismatic spatial interplays across the work’s surface, invoking a sense of movement. Lichtenstein’s quest to create optical illusions using experimental materials continued throughout his career. For instance, he pursued comparable plays on perception in his intricate Mirrors and later Water Lilies.
Read more about Landscapes, Moonscapes and Seascapes by Roy Lichtenstein.
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.
