Whaam!

So today marks the ninety-first birthday of one of the giants of Pop Art. Roy Lichtenstein’s works are some of the most recognizable in the world, with the comic-style layout, bold colors, and the occasional use of parody. Lichtenstein’s story actually has connections surprisingly close to me. In the early sixties, he taught art at Rutgers University, less than forty minutes from my house, and was represented by the Leo Castelli Gallery, just twenty blocks up Madison Avenue from where I work during the summer. During his early career in the sixties, Lichtenstein created some of his best work, like Drowning Girl (1963), Kiss II (1962) and Whaam! (1963). His name is held among those of Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns. And despite Life magazine and The New York Times calling him “one of the worst artist in the world” in 1964, Lichtenstein’s work can be seen in the most renowned private collections and the most esteemed art museums in the world, including the Tate Modern in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.