Whaam! 1963

Roy Lichtenstein made 'Whaam!' with oil and acrylic on canvas; it's a painting born from reproduction, imitating printing techniques. It shows you that artmaking is all about process. This isn't about the handmade gesture in the traditional sense, but it still emphasizes the materiality of paint. Look at how he simulates the Ben-Day dots, making flat color appear textured, that physical presence changes everything. It's so calculated, so deadpan, yet the impact is visceral. And the scale! It’s huge; you can’t miss the red, the yellow, the sheer graphic punch. That big 'WHAAM!' on the right panel is so declarative; it hits you like a punch in the gut. The onomatopoeia, the sheer comic book energy, it’s exhilarating. It reminds me of early work by Ed Ruscha, where language becomes image, where words explode off the canvas. Both artists invite us to rethink what painting can be.