This triptych is formed by three skate decks made of 7 ply grade A Canadian maple wood.
© Estate of Roy Lichtenstein, 2024, all rights reserved
Explosion (1967) by Roy Lichtenstein marks a point where the artist moves away from traditional portraiture and focuses solely on the image of an explosion, a recurring theme in the comics of the time. Instead of telling a story, Lichtenstein captures the visual energy and dynamism of the explosion using his characteristic style with Ben-Day dots and flat colors. The work takes a common element from popular culture, like explosions in action comics, and transforms it into a piece that explores the superficiality of emotions portrayed in the media and their appropriation in consumer culture.
What’s fascinating about this piece is how the use of intense colors and bold outlines not only mimics the comic aesthetic but also amplifies the sense of speed and power. The repetition of visual elements intensifies the idea of an explosive impact, while maintaining an ironic and detached tone, characteristic of Lichtenstein. Through this contrast between the represented drama and the technical detachment, the work becomes a critique of how the media trivialize heroism and emotion, and how these portrayals are mass-consumed without deep reflection.
Explosion also plays with the boundaries between popular art and what is considered "high culture" art. By taking such a common theme, Lichtenstein elevates it to the gallery, challenging traditional artistic hierarchies and questioning the divide between the "low" and "high." The piece is situated in a historical moment when pop culture images, like comics and advertisements, already had a dominant presence in daily life, and the work can be seen as a comment on the saturation of visual stimuli and the banalization of emotion in modern society.
Like other pieces by Lichtenstein, Explosion invites the viewer to reconsider the relationship between art, the media, and how cultural values are expressed through images.
