The White House Gallery

Roy Lichtenstein

American ( 1923 - 1997 )

Roy Lichtenstein was one of the first American Pop artists to achieve widespread renown.

Lichtenstein's emphasis on methods of mechanical reproduction - particularly through his signature use of Ben-Day dots - highlights one of the central lessons of Pop art, that all forms of communication, all messages, are filtered through codes or languages.

Roy Lichtenstein played a critical role in subverting the sceptical view of commercial styles and subjects established by the Abstract Expressionists. By embracing "low" art such as comic books and popular illustration, Lichtenstein became one of the most important figures in the Pop art movement. While his paintings of cartoons and comics are his most recognisable work, he had a prolific and somewhat eclectic career that drew from Cubism, Surrealism, and Expressionism.