Lichtenstein Retrospective at Tate Modern! Last Weekend to see it.

Do not miss the massively brilliant Retrospective of Roy Lichtenstein at the Tate Modern. It’s a blast!

Running through May 27, 2013, this comprehensive retrospective is the first of its kind since the artists sudden death in 1997 at age 73.

The exhibition takes you on a journey through the evolution of Pop Art itself.

Walk right up to Lichtenstein’s breakthrough piece “Look Mickey” from 1961 and you can bear witness to one of the most pivotal moments in modern art.

It may seem trite today, but this colorful copy of a Disney cartoon led Lichtenstein to investigate the usage of the Ben-Day printing dot technique, which took him, and us all, on a wild ride, allowing us to question the pervasive impact of commercialism on society, and changing foerver, the way we perceive art.

Lichtenstein discovered the simple complexity of everyday objects.

He helped us look at the way advertising was infiltrating our collective mindset.

Controversially, he transformed the seemingly insignificant imagery of romantic and action comic strips into an oversized mirror on society, forcing us to question our stereotypical and outdated concepts of femininity and masculinity.

In some of his lesser-known work, Lichtenstein experimented with all sorts of materials and how they could be used in his Modern Art arsenal.

Plexiglass, brass, copper and chrome intrigued him as a means of repurposing the materials of the architect and transforming them into stylistic statements of his own.

The exhibition includes several cases of printed materials to peruse, highlighting Lichtenstein’s mastery of graphic arts.

Throughout the 60s and 70s, Lichtenstein had his own artistic conversation of sorts with many artists from the past, re-interpreting the styles and subjects of great painters such as Matisse, Picasso and Mondrian.

In his later years Lichtenstein grew more interested in sculpture and landscapes and there are some rare and wonderful examples in this exhibition.

I’ve only scratched the surface of this comprehensive show. There are so many little (and large) treasures in this exhibition, I really hope you get a chance to discover them for yourself.

I’m sure Roy would be tickled to see how his parodies of commercialism have become so commercialized themselves. As Banksey pointed out, we must “Exit through the Gift Shop.”

There you can buy just about anything with a Lichtenstein look, from tote bags to tee shirts and everything in between. And the line extended out into the gallery, proving Lichtenstein’s persevering impact on today’s capitalistic culture.

This isn’t a criticism, it’s a celebration and a success story of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
Go now and take advantage of this rare opportunity to see so many of his great works all in one place.

Lichtenstein a Retrospective
Runs through May 27, 2013 at the Tate Modern in London, England.
http://www.tate.org.uk
They even have a cool App in the Apple App Store and on Google Play for £1.99

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All images and text copyright Lance Aram Rothstein 2013.