Mirror #4 1972

Roy Lichtenstein made this screenprint, Mirror #4, but when? Here, Lichtenstein's signature dots aren't describing form so much as interrupting it, so that the black circle feels like a void and a solid. It's kind of a joke, right? That graphic language has to stand in for light, and the reflective surface. It reminds me of Jasper Johns, actually, who was also using familiar signs and systems in a way that undermined their original purpose. Look at that slash of yellow in the top corner, and the way the lines at the left don't quite meet. To me, it feels like the painting isn't finished, or maybe, can't be finished. It’s a great example of how art grapples with the limitations of representation. Mirrors, after all, aren't just about reflecting what’s there, they are about how we see, and what we expect to see.