Lichtenstien

War & Romance Wham!

It’s always nice to spend the weekend on the Southbank and even nicer when the reason for going is to see the Roy Lichtenstein retrospective at the Tate Modern. I had heard nothing but good things about this blockbuster exhibition and this particularly grey and rainy Saturday was in desperate need of an injection of colour.

War & Romance

His famous War and Romance works have become so popular that they have been removed from the context of the art world and plastered on anything from mugs to tea towels. I can’t complain, I took home a little bit of Lichtenstein in the form of two cushion covers, which are now brightening up my sofa, but it was amazing seeing the originals in a gallery space. When you are standing in front of one, it’s difficult not to be completly bowled over by their sheer scale and striking primary colours.

Alka Salzer

Mirror

Brushstrokes

Canvasses simplifying brushstrokes in his cartoon-like way lined the walls in the first room. Up next was the Black and White room, which housed my highlight, The Alka Salzer. I had no idea Lichtenstein had so many monochromes to his name, they seem to have been overshadowed by his vivid ‘Pows’ and ‘Wows’. The simplicity allowed for a complete focus on his iconic style and to see his ability to make an ordinary ball of string so captivating.

Found on Pinterest

Wow! What a show. Clearly not content on a replica Lichtenstein on a mug/tea towel/ pencil case, this fan has used her head as a canvas. Brilliant fancy dress idea or completely bonkers? 

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