Lamp II (Primary Title)
Roy Lichtenstein, American, 1923 - 1997 (Artist)
"I think painting and sculpture proceed from the same vision... In drawing some simple still lifes I thought, "Just cut the drawing out and then you have a sculpture." I elaborated that quite a bit." -Roy Lichtenstein
Known primarily as a painter, Lichtenstein also made sculptures throughout his career. Like his paintings, the sculptures show his interest in images that read as both abstract and representational and that present familiar things with great economy. Lamp II belongs to a group of painted bronzes depicting common household items. Here shafts of light become solid forms that support a hanging fixture. Some beams reach the ground, creating a pool of yellow light. Short diagonal lines suggest shading. Playfully inverting the tangible and intangible, Lichtenstein captures weightlessness in solid form, as he had done with reflections, smoke, and steam.
The Common Wealth, Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts, Roanoke, VA, December 1, 1990 – February 3, 1991
Contemporary Art from the VMFA, Muscarelle Museum, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, September 30 – November 15, 1987
Selections from the Sydney and Frances Lewis Collection in the VMFA, Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE, March 29 – May 10, 1987
Roy Lichtenstein Sculpture, Leo Castelli Gallery, New York, NY, December 1977
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.