Live ammo (Ha! Ha! Ha!) 1962

Roy Lichtenstein made this painting, "Live ammo (Ha! Ha! Ha!)" using oil on canvas. The first thing that hits you is the palette – primary colors plus that bubblegum pink ground, all flattened out. Lichtenstein’s marks are so crisp and clean, they're like a dare to painting itself. It's all about the surface. No messy brushstrokes here, just bold outlines and Ben-Day dots mimicking the printing process. Look at that speech bubble, “HA! HA! HA!” It's so blunt and unapologetic, like Lichtenstein's saying, "Yeah, I'm using comic book imagery, so what?" The humor is dark, edged with commentary on consumerism. The graphic style and bold colours really reminds me of the work of someone like Peter Saul, who uses a similar irreverent style to challenge the viewer. It’s a reminder that art is never truly original but always in conversation with what came before and what is happening now. This piece embraces that ambiguity, inviting us to laugh, question, and maybe feel a little uneasy all at once.