Interior with water lilies 1991

Roy Lichtenstein made this monumental Interior with water lilies using oil and magna on canvas. It's funny, isn't it? The way he flattens everything out, turns space into this graphic pattern. Look at the surface, so smooth and deliberate, almost like printed matter. He was interested in reflecting the process of mechanical reproduction and printing techniques within his paintings. You can see how he uses those clean lines and Ben-Day dots to create the impression of texture and depth, but it's all just on the surface. Take the water lilies, for example. They are rendered in thick black outlines and simplified forms, yet they still evoke Monet’s paintings. Lichtenstein is playing with art history, pulling apart our expectations of what a painting should be. It reminds me of David Hockney, another artist who challenged traditional notions of perspective and representation in his own vibrant way. It all shows how art is a conversation, and there's no final answer.