American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein is most famous for his paintings of dramatic comic book strips.
Roy Lichenstein
In his work he kept the comic strip’s thick, black lines and strong colors. An important feature of Lichtenstein’s paintings is the shading technique, which makes use of small colored dots (called benday dots).
What is Pop Art?
Short for popular art, Pop Art is a largely British and American art movement that started in the 1950s. It represented a new kind of art, which could appeal to everyone, and not just to a snobbish elite. Many claim that Jasper Johns laid the groundwork for the American Pop Art movement, which was carried on by such artists as Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. These artists took mass-produced products and immortalized them in their work, giving the viewer a fresh perspective on the disposable objects we surround ourselves with.
Whaam!
Lichtenstein's Whaam!
Lichtenstein’s Whaam! from 1963 speaks for itself. The image is taken from a 1962 frame from D.C. Comics’ All American Men of War, a popular series which ran through the 1940s to the 1960s. The text of the pilot: "I pressed the fire control.. and ahead of me rockets blazed through the sky…" brings us straight into the action.
Discussion/Speaking
- Take a good look at Whaam! and describe what has happened here.
- Imagine and act out the conversation between the pilot and ground control. Make sure to convey a sense of urgency in your voice.
- Discuss the title, Whaam! An "a" has been added to the word “wham” for emphasis, and the exclamation mark adds even more punch. What else could this painting be called? Use your imagination and come up with a few alternate titles. Are any of them as effective as Whaam!?
Hopeless
Lichtenstein's
HopelessThe Psychology of Pictures
Discuss
Write a Story or Make a Comic Strip
Learning content
Art and Films
Fagstoff
William Hogarth: Marriage à-la-mode (1743-45)
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumJohn Constable: The Hay Wain (1821)
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumGeorgia O’Keeffe: Ram's Head and White Hollyhock
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumAdaptation Part 1: The Book was Better
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumThe Lucky (and Clever) One
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumBraveheart
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumOnce Were Warriors
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumWuthering Heights
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculum
Oppgaver og aktiviteter
William Hogarth , Mariage à-la-mode - tasks
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumStudying a Work of Art - The Hay Wain
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumJasper Johns: Flag (1954)
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumRoy Lichtenstein: Whaam! (1963)
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumRichard Hamilton: British Pop Art
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumPeggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumAdaptation Part 2: From Novel to Film Success
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumAvatar
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumForrest Gump
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumFreedom Writers - Film Analysis
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumTasks for Wuthering Heights
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculum