Roy Lichtenstein, Self-Portrait at an Easel, c. 1951–1952. Oil on canvas, 34 1/16 x 30 1/8 inches (86.5 x 76.5 cm). Private collection. © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein.
Following a critically lauded exhibition focused on Vincent Van Gogh and his influences, the Columbus Museum of Art will again look into the formation of a master artist’s career with Roy Lichtenstein: History in the Making, 1948–1960. The exhibition, which runs March 4-June 5, is the first by a major museum to look at Lichtenstein’s early work.
Though most associated with New York City and the pop art movement, Lichtenstein built his early artistic practice as a student and teacher at The Ohio State University.
“Many people know Roy Lichtenstein’s work but may not be aware of his formative years in Ohio.” says Nannette Maciejunes, CMA executive director and CEO, in a press release. “This region helped shape Lichtenstein’s towering achievements in American art, and the Columbus Museum of Art is a perfect place to share a more robust story of his development as an artist.”
Lichtenstein has notable art pieces on public display in Columbus as well. Brushstrokes in Flight, a 1984 sculpture, resides at the John Glenn International Airport, and a sculpture design from his Modern Head series sits on OSU’s campus between Smith and McPherson Laboratories.
Another central Ohio connection comes through Dublin Arts Council Executive Director David Guion, who worked with Lichtenstein, in addition to Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, before settling in Dublin.
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History in the Making will focus on how Lichtenstein’s years in Ohio contribute to his artistic significance and will be the first exhibit to bring together many of his early works.
While experimenting with various styles of modern art, Lichtenstein also took influence from the American heartland, incorporating images of the Great Plains and popular cartoon characters in his work. All of this points toward his later work, which often parodies and appropriates popular culture.
“Lichtenstein’s work is often poised between irony and admiration,” says Tyler Cann, CMA’s acting chief curator, who is overseeing the exhibition in Columbus. “This exhibition will present a new Roy Lichtenstein for many visitors, and it is fascinating to see that key elements of his later work are there.”
The exhibition – a collaboration with the Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville, Maine, and the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina – features 90-some pieces in a variety of mediums.
Cameron Carr is an editor for CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ccarr@cityscenemediagroup.com.
