Lichtenstein, Landscapes in the Chinese Style, installation view. All images via Gagosian Gallery.
Most recognized for his 1960s output of super-sized pulpy comic book prints and cartoon imagery explosions, Roy Lichtenstein‘s work continued to span an additional 30 years, in which he explored a number of styles and motifs that he is not commonly associated with. The current show at the Gagosian in Hong Kong seeks to exhibit some of Lichtenstein’s lesser-known works and, in particular, a number of pieces that re-interpret the style of Chinese landscape paintings.
Roy Lichtenstein, Landscape With Scholar’s Rock (1996)
Roy Lichtenstein, Flowers With Bamboo (1996)
These paintings and sculptures, made in the years leading up to the artist’s death in 1997, show an increasing fascination with the simple but expressive nature of Chinese Landscape painting, as well as the monochromatic print work of Edgar Degas. Using his trademark Ben-Day dots and contouring, Lichtenstein approached the creation of these landscapes with a minimalist approach that brings the massive forms of the Chinese countryside springing from the image.
Lichtenstein, Landscapes in the Chinese Style, installation view
Roy Lichtenstein, Vista with Bridge (1996)
Roy Lichtenstein, Landscape in Fog (1996)
While the subject matter of these works may be unfamiliar, their style is characteristically Lichtenstein, using appropriated imagery in order to fashion pieces that appear distinctly commercial. In these later works, however, an emphasis on aesthetic seemingly trumps the irony of his earlier pieces.
Roy Lichtenstein, Landscape with Bridge (1996)
Roy Lichtenstein, Scholar’s Rock (1996)
– D. Creahan
Related Links:
Gagosian Gallery [Exhibition Site]
Roy Lichtenstein [The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation]
The Lichtenstein take on the Song Dynasty [Wall Street Journal]
Roy Lichtenstein Remixed Chinese Art? [Hong Kong Hustle]
“Roy Lichtenstein : Landscapes in the Chinese Style” at Hong Kong Gagosian Gallery [Art Media Agency]
