As I Opened Fire 1964

Roy Lichtenstein made this at some point, using his signature Ben-Day dots and comic book style to depict a moment of explosive action, ‘As I Opened Fire’. There’s a kind of flat, graphic intensity to it, a real sense of ‘POW!’ and ‘BRAT!’ The colours are bold, primary, and the lines are so clean and precise, they almost feel mechanical. I imagine Lichtenstein carefully planning each dot and line, but also getting a kick out of the sheer drama of the scene. The way he zooms in on these split-second moments, amplifies them, it's like he's saying, “Hey, let’s look closer at this stuff, at the way images bombard us”. It reminds me of other artists who were playing with pop culture, like Warhol, but Lichtenstein's got this unique way of making it both familiar and totally alien at the same time. He takes something disposable, a comic book panel, and turns it into a lasting statement.