Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997); Forms in Space;
Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)
Forms in Space (Corlett 217), 1985
Screenprint in colors on wove paper, signed in pencil, dated, annotated 'PP 4/5' (a printer's proof, aside from the edition of 125 plus 20 artist's proofs), published by the artist, for the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, printed by Studio Heinrici, New York, with full margins, framed.
31 1/8 x 47 1/2in (79.1 x 120.7cm)
sheet 35 3/4 x 52in (90.9 x 132cm)
Footnotes:
Provenance:
Coskun Fine Art, London
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner
Essay:
In the 1980s, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia hosted themed galas and commissioned prominent artists to create prints for fundraising events, with the highest-level patrons receiving limited-edition works of art. In 1981, Claes Oldenberg's Split Button Model referenced the artist's monumental sculpture installed locally on the University of Pennsylvania's campus. Highlighting the Philadelphia-born actor and royal, Andy Warhol created his screenprint Grace Kelly for the ICA's 1984 edition. The theme for 1985 was Rally 'Round the Flag for which Roy Lichtenstein created Forms in Space, a reinterpretation of the American flag.
From Jasper Johns to Faith Ringgold, many artists in the twentieth century have questioned and reimagined the American flag. Here Lichtenstein employed his unique visual language of utilizing Ben-Day dots with a bold use of color and line to appropriate the patriotic symbol. He converted the stars and stripes into a composition of strong diagonal lines where blue circles replace white stars, creating depth and optical tension.
Lichtenstein has explored the iconography of American symbols throughout his career. Notably for 1973's Finger Pointing which appropriated Uncle Sam, his take on the Statue of Liberty for I Love Liberty, and The Oval Office, which also features a similar depiction of the flag. While he worked within the same visual framework that was present throughout a career that explored contemporary signs and symbols, in Forms in Space, Lichtenstein repackaged the flag's mass-produced iconography into a geometric abstraction that is distinctly his own.
For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)
Forms in Space (Corlett 217), 1985
Screenprint in colors on wove paper, signed in pencil, dated, annotated 'PP 4/5' (a printer's proof, aside from the edition of 125 plus 20 artist's proofs), published by the artist, for the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, printed by Studio Heinrici, New York, with full margins, framed.
31 1/8 x 47 1/2in (79.1 x 120.7cm)
sheet 35 3/4 x 52in (90.9 x 132cm)
Footnotes:
Provenance:
Coskun Fine Art, London
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner
Essay:
In the 1980s, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia hosted themed galas and commissioned prominent artists to create prints for fundraising events, with the highest-level patrons receiving limited-edition works of art. In 1981, Claes Oldenberg's Split Button Model referenced the artist's monumental sculpture installed locally on the University of Pennsylvania's campus. Highlighting the Philadelphia-born actor and royal, Andy Warhol created his screenprint Grace Kelly for the ICA's 1984 edition. The theme for 1985 was Rally 'Round the Flag for which Roy Lichtenstein created Forms in Space, a reinterpretation of the American flag.
From Jasper Johns to Faith Ringgold, many artists in the twentieth century have questioned and reimagined the American flag. Here Lichtenstein employed his unique visual language of utilizing Ben-Day dots with a bold use of color and line to appropriate the patriotic symbol. He converted the stars and stripes into a composition of strong diagonal lines where blue circles replace white stars, creating depth and optical tension.
Lichtenstein has explored the iconography of American symbols throughout his career. Notably for 1973's Finger Pointing which appropriated Uncle Sam, his take on the Statue of Liberty for I Love Liberty, and The Oval Office, which also features a similar depiction of the flag. While he worked within the same visual framework that was present throughout a career that explored contemporary signs and symbols, in Forms in Space, Lichtenstein repackaged the flag's mass-produced iconography into a geometric abstraction that is distinctly his own.
For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
