Peace Through Chemistry III, from Peace Through Chemistry Series

In 1969, Roy Lichtenstein began to work with Gemini G.E.L. on several series of prints. Lichtenstein began with the Haystack series, using the repetitive qualities of printmaking to explore Monet's iconic image. He found through this and the Cathedral series, a chance to explore color in a controlled and flexible manner. He soon created the Peace Through Chemistry series, consisting of two lithographs, two lithographs with screenprint, and one cast bronze sculpture. The image shows Lichtenstein's interest in the relationship between man and the quickly growing advancements in science and technology in the 1960s and 1970s.
Working with Gemini, Lichtenstein had the chance to use their technology to create these large-scale prints, over five feet wide each. Lichtenstein began exploring the idea of man and the advancement of technology by creating a collage, upon which all four prints, as well as the bronze, are based. In the series, we see the same basic image, altered by variations in line and in color. These changes give each work a different effect, while the crisp lines and color of each reflect the precision of technology. Lichtenstein's use of line recalls the features of art deco architecture, and this aesthetic is emphasized in the bronze piece. It is perhaps no surprise with both the theme and scale of the works that Lichtenstein found similarities between Peace Through Chemistry and the W.P.A. murals of the 1920s and 1930s.