Modern Art I 1996

Roy Lichtenstein made *Modern Art I* using flat, graphic shapes and Ben-Day dots. I can imagine him composing the artwork in stages, almost like a collage. He would have started with initial sketches, then carefully painted the various geometric forms and linear elements that constitute the composition. It's interesting how the artist abstracts a face into a series of simplified forms: a large, stylized eye, an ear, and a string of pearls, all fragmented and rearranged. Lichtenstein challenges traditional notions of portraiture and representation, as he plays with perception and invites us to question how we see and interpret images. I like the way the Ben-Day dots add texture and depth to the surface. They are not random – they are carefully placed to create gradients and shadows. Artists are always responding to each other and to the world around them. Lichtenstein's work encourages me to push boundaries in my own practice and to experiment with different ways of seeing.