It is impossible to imagine Pop art without the work of Roy Lichtenstein. His comic book-inspired paintings of 1961, along with Andy Warhol's work of the same year, are generally considered the first true Pop art. Although best known for his cartoon imagery, Lichtenstein took on a wide range of subject matter that included portraiture, still life, landscape, and modern art history, all brought under the crisp, clear look that defined "a Lichtenstein"--primary colors, Benday dot patterns, stripes, and strong outlines. He was not only Pop's great stylist but also one of the most accomplished printmakers of all time, working in nearly every print medium and collaborating with many of the master printers and workshops of his time.

Roy Lichtenstein Prints 1956-97 surveys the printmaking career of this seminal artist--from his first proto-Pop image made in 1956 to the print he was working on at the time of his death in 1997--and provides both an introduction to his imagery and a fresh appraisal of the many-layered meanings in his work and its lasting impact. Included are essays by Chris Bruce, Elizabeth A. Brown, and Dave Hickey that illuminate the complexities of the work and position Lichtenstein as both the ultimate people's artist and the definitive artist's artist, who could take on any kind of imagery.

ACKNOWLEDGHENTS

  Chris Bruce

POP AND CIRCUHSTANCE:

AN  INTRODUCTION TO THE  PRINTS  OF ROY LICHTENSTEIN

  Chris Bruce

  PLATES

ROY LICHTENSTEIN: GETTING TO KNOW HIM

  Dave Hickey

  PLATES

ROY LICHTENSTEIN: PRINTS AND THE REVOLUTION

  Elizabeth A. Brown

  PLATES

ABOUT THE COLLECTOR

CHECKLIST OF WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION