Roy Lichtenstein: Prints 1956-1997 from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
Roy Lichtenstein: Prints 1956-1997 from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation Details
Think “Roy Lichtenstein” and you probably conjure up comic strip-based paintings and the colorful dots that comprise them. Lichtenstein intended his now iconic depictions of characters in tense, dramatic situations as commentaries on modern man's plight, in which the media--magazines, television and advertisements--shapes everything, including our emotions. Many of the same concepts behind the artist's paintings apply to the significant number of prints he produced in the latter part of this life. Focused on works created from the mid-50s until his death in 1997, this exhibition catalogue gives a full overview of Lichtenstein's printmaking accomplishments. Accompanying reproductions of the artist's works are essays by two outstanding scholars: Dave Hickey, a MacArthur Award-winning writer on art and culture; and Elizabeth Brown, who wrote her thesis on Lichtenstein at Columbia University, under the tutelage of the late Kirk Varnedoe. Approximately 40 prints are illustrated in this elegant, intimately-scaled book, which highlights a specific body of work from one of the most innovative forces in post-World War II art.
Reviews
I bought this book primarily because I was interested in a Lichtenstein PRINTS book. There are better books that take a retrospective look at Roy's career that go into much more depth. For fans interested in his prints, the main thing I wanted to see were the actual prints. Meaning I want to see actual prints that were exhibited for the exhibition this catalog is based on. We should be able to see the print margins and edges for each piece along with the signature, numbering, and any other markings that art part of a print edition. Instead for most of the prints you only see the image (no margins or print edges and often no signature or numbering). So this becomes a small retrospective of Lichtenstein images instead of a catalog of his actual prints. It's may be a subtle difference but for those interested in printmaking it's important. The book is a missed opportunity and not recommended for those looking for a good reference of Lichtenstein prints.
