Brushstrokes 1965

Roy Lichtenstein's "Brushstrokes" presents us with a dynamic interplay of form, color, and texture, rendered through the mechanical reproduction of Ben-Day dots, a signature of his Pop Art aesthetic. The painting features stylized, bold red brushstrokes set against a pale blue dotted background, with the addition of black outlines. This simple palette draws immediate attention to the graphic quality of the composition. Lichtenstein engages with the Abstract Expressionist's spontaneous gesture but filters it through the detached lens of commercial printing. The brushstrokes, usually symbols of artistic freedom, are here meticulously replicated, calling into question notions of originality and authorship. The drips of paint, usually a sign of artistic immediacy, are here frozen in time. Through this work, Lichtenstein challenges the distinction between high and low art, inviting viewers to reconsider the status of the artistic gesture in an era dominated by mass media. In effect, he destabilizes established categories, and invites us to question the meaning of art itself.