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Roy Lichtenstein Whaam !

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Whaam! Is a 1963 painting created by the American artist Roy Lichtenstein, which is one of the most powerful monuments of the 1960's pop art. Throughout the 60’s Lichtenstein drew on commercial art like comic images and advertisements. Whaam! Has been in the Tate collection since 1966 and has been one of the most well-known modern masterpieces in Britain. The painting depicts a picture of violence. An American fighter unleashing a round of fire that blows up an enemy plane. This painting was greatly influenced by DC comic All-American Men of war, drawn by Irv Novick in 1962. Whaam! Is a very large painting, measuring 5 ft. 7 in x 13 ft. 4 in. With the use of vibrant colors and expressive narrative, Lichtenstein made realistic paintings of an …show more content…

Roy Lichtenstein used bright and vibrant colors such as the yellow and red with black outlines in a cartoon-like style. Thick black outlines were very popular within pop art. Lichtenstein used acrylic and oil paint on both canvases when creating Whaam!. The background, however, is changed to a blue-gray that compliments the remaining colors. The two panels are spatially and temporally linked. The left panel shows the attacking plane and in the right panel, you see the exploding plane, which is outlined by flames, accompanied by the bold word “WHAAM!” even though both canvases are separate you can still see the left panel containing the missile launch and on the other side you see the explosion, indicating two distinct events. Lichtenstein made the exploding plane more prominent compared to the attacking plane, emphasizing the flames. The plane on the left is dramatically angled making aggressive lines intensify the sense of motion and make the painting more captivating.
Whaam! is a subtle yet high-level painting. I really liked this artwork because of Lichtensteins use of color and comic like style. Roy Lichtenstein used a lot of realism within his paintings, everyday imagery, and a heavy amount of irony. With the United States heading to war, pop artist liked to use current events and shed light on them by using everyday consumer products and packaging. I would display this artwork in my house.

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