Eccentric Scientist

细节

Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)
Eccentric Scientist
enameled steel
36 x 36 in. (91.5 x 91.5 cm.)
Executed in 1964. This work is one from an edition of six.

来源

Jack Glenn Gallery, Newport Beach
Acquired by the family of the present owner, 1970.

出版

D. Waldman, Roy Lichtenstein, New York, 1971, no. 70 (another example illustrated in color).
B. Clearwater, Roy Lichtenstein: Inside/Outside, exh. cat., Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, 2001, p. 105, no. 5 (another example illustrated in color).
S. Rothkopf and R. Moody, Roy Lichtenstein Times Square Mural, New York, 2002, p. 45 (another example illustrated in color).

拍品专文

In 1964, Lichtenstein was inspired by the enameled New York subway signs to create his first work in enameled steel. He was immediately attracted to the high finish and industrial qualities of the material, finding it a match for his sleek, graphic imagery. Lustrous enamel on a flat steel surface allowed Lichtenstein to fuse his interests in painting and sculpture. In the same year, his passion for science, technology and science fiction was fueled by the 1964 New York World's Fair, and he was inspired to create Eccentric Scientist.

In classic comic book style, a futuristic mini hand-held communicator telepaths the face of a malevolent looking anti-hero. This is a cool high-tech gadget that might have been used by Dick Tracy or Buck Rogers, two of Lichtenstein's favorite subjects. The zoom-in detail of the hand appears in earlier well known Lichtenstein works, including Spray, 1962 and Foot Medication, 1962. Empowered by its scale and graphic simplicity, the great hand clutches the device. On the screen, the closely cropped face beams a crazed smile directly at us with unyielding intensity.

The electrifying image of Eccentric Scientist was not recycled later in the artist's work. While it is extremely typical of the period, it is a rare image emanating Lichtenstein's splendid sense of humor and dynamic innovation.