I just can't wait to see the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition at the Tate Modern in a few weeks' time. I haven't been to a good 'blockbuster' exhibition for years it seems. I had somehow forgotten the artist as his images have become iconic and overexposed and ,to me, very emblematic of the sixties. Art historical dates aside, my resonance with the artist as part of the sixties is probably very incorrect and I don't want to go into this here, but looking through some images tonight I was taken back in time to the source of these paintings; those kitch, corny love book comic strips coming out of the United States that I wasn't allowed to read or buy as a kid. Oh no! These were not allowed in my home, but I do remember having access to some of them and memories of those times flooded back. Strangely enough, I could always draw these faces (and I drew many as doodles on the side of school notebooks) with waterfall tears falling out of heavy-lashed eyes, but trying tonight with a piece of charcoal (wrong tool - I should have used a simple pencil) I realised that I couldn't draw like this any more. The point I am making is that I should have been able to pull this off and it showed me just how much fluidity I have lost over the years and how badly I need to get back to drawing. My silly effort is posted below the 'real' Lichtenstein works - tinted, in the spirit of 'pop'. It's not even good enough to be a legitimate 'homage'. I shall report back in a few weeks a mini review of my experience at this exhibition.
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| Roy Lichtenstein |
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| Roy Lichtenstein - I presume |
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| Roy Lichtenstein - "Wham!" |
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| My Doodle |
2 comments:
Yeesh, I'd love to be able to draw what you did. I love the puddles of tears...or pools to put it more poetically! Can't wait to read your thoughts on the exhibit! And where have you been???
Thanks Sherry! Your "And where have you been???" made me laugh. Existentially, I don't know where I AM never mind BEEN. However, it's been a dark winter and not good for painting plus I was in a creative lull so no stuff on the blog. Hoping this will change very soon. x0x.
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