Curatorial notes
Editor: Here we have Roy Lichtenstein’s *Kiss*, an acrylic on canvas. Its almost comical aesthetic presents such an exaggerated and artificial rendition of romance. What exactly are we to make of such blatant reproduction of comic art? Curator: This is where Lichtenstein challenges traditional art hierarchies. By appropriating the mass-produced imagery of comics, rendered carefully by hand with precise Ben-Day dots and bold outlines, he directly confronts the notion of originality and artistic skill. How does the labor invested in this "copy" transform the original material? Editor: So, you're saying his careful craftsmanship elevates a low-brow subject matter? Does this process itself become a comment on labor and artistic value? Curator: Precisely! Think about the source: mass-produced comics, churned out for popular consumption. Lichtenstein then meticulously recreates them, elevating the printing process into a meticulous studio practice using specific acrylic paints and techniques. His re-creation involved industrial materials such as the pre-manufactured canvas that allude to pop culture. Does this deliberate process change how you perceive both comic books and traditional paintings? Editor: It certainly does. By pointing out all the processes involved, it sort of highlights how everything has to come from some materials... How all artworks require materials... Which is now sort of obvious, haha. I will never think of mass produced painting the same way again, I think. Thanks! Curator: I’m happy that this gave you a fresh and alternative perspective on the Pop art movement and on this painting, and Lichtenstein’s critical engagement with materiality and artistic production.