Book description
A Penguin Special on Roy Lichtenstein by Alastair Sooke - read in 2
hours or less
'Why, Brad darling, this painting is a masterpiece! My, soon you'll
have all of New York clamoring for your work!'
Roy Lichtenstein - architect of Pop art, connoisseur of the comic
strip, master of irony and prophet of popular culture.
From exhilarating images of ice-cool jet pilots in dog fights, to
blue-haired Barbie dolls drowning in scenes of domestic heartache,
Lichtenstein's instantly recognisable paintings, with their Ben-Day
dots and witty one-liners, defined the art of a generation. But how
did a jobbing, unassuming painter of the Fifties become a world-famous
Pop artist whose work today sells for millions? What do his paintings
really tell us? And what is his legacy?
This book, by art critic and broadcaster Alastair Sooke, is a
perfect introduction to the artist and his work. Spanning
Lichtenstein's career, and explaining his unique style, it is a
journey through the life of one of the twentieth century's greatest artists.
Published in time for a major new retrospective of the work of Roy Lichtenstein.
'Sooke is an immensely engaging character. He has none of the
weighty self-regard that often afflicts art experts and critics;
rather he approaches his subjects with a questioning, open,
exploratory attitude' Sarah Vine, The Times
'His shows are excellent - clever, lively, scholarly, but not too
lecturey; he's very good at linking his painters with the world
outside the studio, and at how these artists have affected the world
today' Sam Wollaston reviewing 'Modern Masters', Guardian
Alastair Sooke is deputy art critic of the Daily Telegraph.
He has written and presented documentaries on television and radio for
the BBC, including Modern Masters, an acclaimed BBC One series
that chronicled modern art in the twentieth century. Since 2009 he has
reported regularly for The Culture Show on BBC Two. He was
educated at Christ Church, Oxford, and at the Courtauld Institute of
Art, London.
Alastair Sooke is deputy art critic of the
Daily Telegraph
. He has written and presented documentaries on television and radio for
the BBC, including
Modern Masters
, an acclaimed BBC One series that chronicled modern art in the
twentieth century. Since 2009 he has reported regularly for
The
Culture Show
on BBC Two. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, and at the
Courtauld Institute of Art, London.
