Study for center panel of "Cow Triptych (Cow Going Abstract)" 1974

Curator: Roy Lichtenstein’s "Study for Center Panel of 'Cow Triptych (Cow Going Abstract)'" from 1974 is a vibrant mixed-media drawing on paper. It offers a fascinating glimpse into Lichtenstein's process as he deconstructs the iconic image of the cow. Editor: My first thought is how graphic and playful it is. The bold lines and flat, primary colours feel very Pop, yet there's something almost childlike in its simplicity. The materiality also is immediate, humble almost, given his grander works. Curator: Precisely! It’s part of Lichtenstein’s broader engagement with popular culture and art history. The 'Cow Triptych' itself satirizes the art world's fascination with abstraction, specifically mocking the easy progression some perceived from representational to non-representational art. The cow, a humble subject, becomes fodder for intellectual humor. Editor: The hatching creates dynamic textures despite the flat color fields. He is still involved with process even in the preparatory stage, you can see the tools, his hand and choices laid bare. What statements might he be trying to make about mass production and commodification by creating what appears to be an artistic print, of something from ordinary life, done by hand? Curator: This piece showcases his knack for elevating and aestheticizing the everyday. The very act of creating a "study" suggests a calculated approach, challenging notions of artistic spontaneity. And it reflects how Pop Art engaged critically with consumerism. Editor: Absolutely, and it questions artistic skill, too. Is the skill in the concept, or in the craft? Looking at this work from a materialist lens makes you wonder: what kind of paper, pencils and paints did Lichtenstein use? What kind of labor went into creating this seemingly simple image? How do his choices elevate, and or diminish, the commonness of it? Curator: These sketches serve as valuable artifacts. They remind us of the institutional validation required for art, with initial concept receiving significantly less attention until deemed ‘significant’. Lichtenstein challenges these hierarchies by immortalizing such things! Editor: Seeing it from that point of view adds another layer of interpretation and critique that, frankly, would have remained elusive to me. It underlines the political charge imbued by Lichtenstein when addressing commodity culture. Curator: Agreed. And by viewing it together, perhaps listeners gain greater awareness on how we have been conditioned to think and feel about both art, and the structures in which it is delivered.