Roy Lichtenstein: American Indian Encounters

May 13 – September 4, 2006

Roy Lichtenstein: American Indian Encounters features a virtually unknown group of paintings and works on paper by leading pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, inspired by his appreciation of Native American art. The exhibition includes works on paper created from 1949 to 1951 that reflect Lichtenstein’s interests in European modernist artists such as Picasso, Miro, and Klee. Also featured is a major series of Surrealist-Pop paintings from 1979–81 based on Native American themes. For Lichtenstein, a broad approach to Native American art provided a rich, historical base for his vision of modern art. It blended “high art” and mass media to examine the myths and symbols of American heritage.