Cow Triptych (Cow Going Abstract) Poster (left panel) 1982

Curator: Here we have the left panel of Roy Lichtenstein’s “Cow Triptych (Cow Going Abstract) Poster” from 1982. Lichtenstein, known for his Pop Art appropriations of comic book aesthetics, here turns his attention to a seemingly pastoral subject: the cow. Editor: It’s strikingly simple. The bold yellow ground and the diagonal black lines give it a graphic punch, almost vibrating against the stark white. It's so reductive, yet instantly recognizable as a cow. Curator: Exactly. Lichtenstein engages with the legacy of abstraction, poking fun at the tropes of modernism, perhaps. He is part of a generation of artists looking at popular culture with new ideas and a critical lens. Think about the rise of mass media and consumerism in the 1980s; he's playing with those themes, elevating the everyday object to the level of fine art. The poster speaks to ideas about how we manufacture icons out of simplistic shapes and familiar subjects, especially. Editor: The simplification is key. The use of solid color fields and those regimented diagonal lines... they strip away any sense of organic texture, replacing it with a mechanically reproduced feel. It's like a diagram of a cow rather than a realistic portrayal. I almost feel like I am seeing this cow through a highly pixilated screen. Curator: Absolutely. It reflects on the era’s preoccupation with industrial production and the blurring lines between the authentic and the mass-produced image. He also cleverly uses a commercial printing technique to ironically mimic the same style, using something like a linocut to further mimic that idea. And, as it is part of a triptych, the left panel suggests a kind of progression, which is so indicative of our obsession with progress. Editor: The composition certainly draws your eye. The placement of the cow figure and color palette creates an almost undeniable, energetic contrast. The formal choices work in harmony, delivering that iconic, pop-style impact that he has always been celebrated for. Curator: It provides so much insight into cultural changes. The socio-political landscape in art offers an undeniable point for reflection. Editor: For me, it comes down to an interplay of sharp, flat tones working together— the formal is inextricable. I like thinking of how we have to interpret color, line, and balance in the artwork’s composition.