Saturday, May 25, 2013

Whaam! JP goes pop

Everyone seems to love pop art, so the Tate's Lichtenstein retrospective has been one of London's must-see shows this year.

But what would be the impact of room after room of them? Would it be like the Miro, which became repetitive, yet another stick man with red hat?

The answer was an emphatic no. Faced with those familiar canvases of Whaam! and Drowning Girl my reaction was not "enough" but "more, please".

Maybe it was because they were like stories half told but I felt like I'd been given only half a serving of my favourite desert and wouldn't mind seconds.

Yes there was an instantly recognisable style, but there were also lots of ideas, such as the paintings inspired by the likes of Picasso and Matisse. There was a lovely triptic where a Lichtenstein comic book style woman transformed first into a Picasso woman and then a Mondrian abstract.

Then there were the mirrors - or at least cartoon representation of mirrors, which of course didn't reflect, leaving one feeling invisible.

Great fun and closing very soon so rush along to the South Bank to get a viewing.

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