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There are certain things that are usable, forceful, and vital about commercial art. We’re using those things – but we’re not really advocating stupidity, international teenagerism, and terrorism.

Roy Lichtenstein

People mistake the character of line for the character of art. But it’s really the position of line that’s important, or the position of anything, any contrast, not the character of it.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Anything Character Contrast Important Line People Position
There must be something about art… almost all cultures have done art. It’s a refining of the senses, which are there to keep us alive. As far as we know, no other animals do that.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Alive Animal Art Culture Keep Look Refining Sense Something
I kind of do the drawing with the painting in mind, but it’s very hard to guess at a size or a color and all the colors around it and what it will really look like.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Around Color Draw Drawing Gesture Guess Hard Mind Panting Size
Everybody knows that abstract art can be art, and most people know that they may not like it, even if they understand there’s another purpose to it.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Abstract Another Art Even Everybody Know Most People Purpose Understand
The big tradition, I think, is unity. And I have that in mind; and with that, you know, you could break all the traditions- all the other so-called rules, because they are stylistic.. and most are not true.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Artist Big Break Know Long Mind Thinking Tradition
I take a cliche and try to organize its forms to make it monumental. The difference is often not great, but it is crucial.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Cliche Differences Form Make Monument Organize Trying
There are certain things that are usable, forceful, and vital about commercial art. We’re using those things – but we’re not really advocating stupidity, international teenagerism, and terrorism.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Advocating Certain Commercial Forceful International Teenagerism Really Stupidity Terrorism Thing Usable Vital
I don’t think of form as a kind of architecture. The architecture is the result of the forming. It is the kinesthetic and visual sense of position and wholeness that puts the thing into the realm of art.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Architect Architecture Art Form Kind Result Think Thinking
But when I worked on a painting I would do it from a drawing but I would put certain things I was fairly sure I wanted in the painting, and then collage on the painting with printed dots or painted paper or something before I really committed it.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Certain Dot Draw Drawing Paint Paper Sure Thing Want
Outside is the world; it’s there. Pop Art looks out into the world.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Art Look Out Outside Pop World
My direction is very anti-contemplative. If you thought I was for commercial products, you’d think there was no irony. The irony isn’t meant to be an ironic comment on our society, exactly.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Anti Commercial Contemplative Direction Ironic Irony Product Think Thinking
You forget that this has been thirty five years now and people don’t look at it as if it were some kind of oddity.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Being Five Forget Kind Look Now Oddity People Some Thirty Years
But usually I begin things through a drawing, so a lot of things are worked out in the drawing. But even then, I still allow for and want to make changes.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Change Draw Drawing Making Out Think Usually Want Work
A number of artists have done things with Mickey Mouse – including Claes Oldenburg and Andy Warhol. He’s such an American symbol, and such an anti-art symbol.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Artist Cartoon Country Done Include Interest Mickey Mouse Number People Peron
I kind of do the drawing with the painting in mind, but it’s very hard to guess at a size or a color and the colors around it and what it will really look like. It’s only a guess at the beginning, and then I try to refine it.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Around Beginning Color Draw Four Guess Kind Mind Painting Refine
There is almost nothing you can say that holds up as a generalization, because it depends on too many factors: size, modulation, the rest of the field, a certain consistency that color has with forms, and the statement you’re trying to make.
ROY LICHTENSTEIN

Almost Certain Consistency Depend Field Generalization Hold Make Modulation Nothing Say Statement Try

There are certain things that are usable, forceful, and vital about commercial art. We’re using those things – but we’re not really advocating stupidity, international teenagerism, and terrorism.

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There are certain things that are usable, forceful, and vital about commercial art. We’re using those things – but we’re not really advocating stupidity, international teenagerism, and terrorism.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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