Just about every 15 years, old questions about a legendary artist and his or her work are regurgitated in an effort to surface new answers, with the expectation of affirming our initial thoughts or disavowing them completely. Paintings and music in particular are trapped in the time of their creation and reflection of a life and time that is impossible to replicate. You only go around once! The work is a representation of what is
known at the time and needs to be viewed (my opinion for certain) in this way. A perfect example is that the Modern Jazz of the 1940s and 50s does not sound modern or radical in 2012.
The label gets in the way of our appreciating artist like Roy Lichtenstein (Pop Art), Horace Silver (Modern Jazz) and even Bach (Classical Music) because we are asked to consider the label first and then the art outside of context in which it was created.
Roy Lichtenstein like Miles Davis and many others had a diverse contribution to the arts that far exceeded the label associated with them. Really, what is cool jazz?
The Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective at The Art Institute of Chicago (May 16–September 3, 2012) “Presenting over 130 paintings and sculptures, as well as over 30 little- or never-before-seen drawings and collages, this exhibition gives full consideration to all periods of Lichtenstein’s career, including but not limited to, pre-Pop expressionist work, classic Pop Romance and War cartoon paintings…” includes what we are familiar with and much more. I just wished that the curators would allow us make up our own personal, current day, interpretation of what we are about to see or hear. That’s where the magic is.
Related
- Paintings by Roy Lichtenstein
- Interiors by Roy Lichtenstein (superradnow.wordpress.com)
- Song for my Father
- The History of Jazz
