ROY LICHTENSTEIN, MIRROR #5, MIRROR SERIES, PLANOGRAPHIC PRINT, LITHOGRAPH AND SCREEN PRINT IN COLOURS ON SPECIAL ARJOMARI PAPER, EDITION OF 80, 1972
Roy Lichtenstein launched his Mirror series in the late 1960s, concluding the sequence in the early 1990s. His Mirrors study the symbolic implications of the mirror motif in art and mythology. Historically, mirrors have been used to reveal complex perspectives and invisible truths. In keeping with the conventions of object painting, Lichtenstein maintains the physical appearance of his mirrors. However, the series liberates the item from its symbolism and functionality.
Mirror #5, executed in 1972, is the first rectangular edition of the series. The print conjures a flattened and unified surface. Two dislodged black and yellow colour blocks are pasted on a stark white backdrop. Fragmented red streaks and black dots adorn the rectangle’s edges, marking its framework. The abstracted shapes and the rich colour scheme constitute, yet also obscure the subject matter. Lichtenstein presents his mirror frontally, displaying the complete absence of reflections. Therefore, Mirror #5 is as much a contradiction, as an exemplification of a mirror.
Over the course of his career, Lichtenstein embarked on several other series dealing with vision and representation. His Water Lilies and Reflections, for instance, explore various perceptions of light and reflection. Meanwhile, Lichtenstein’s Entablatures delve further into object painting, reproducing enlarged architectural fragments as their main composition.
Read more about Mirrors 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.