Roy Lichtenstein’s Texan Takeover
The pop art icon comes into focus in duet exhibitions at the Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center.
Summary
- The Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center team up for joint exhibitions dedicated to Roy Lichtenstein
- The exhibitions are anchored by a 50-plus piece gift by the artist’s namesake foundation, featuring prints, drawings, maquettes, prototypes and sculptures
- Both Roy Lichtenstein in Studio exhibitions will be on view until this summer
Wherever you fall on the art novice-connoisseur spectrum, you know Roy Lichtenstein, the pop art pioneer known for his Ben-Day dot paintings of teary-eyed maidens flanked by an explosive “Whaam!” Courtesy of a landmark gift by the his namesake foundation, in Dallas, the New York artist comes into full focus for a cross-museum showcase.
The Nasher Sculpture Center and Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) give the floor(s) to Roy Lichtenstein in Studio, on view at both institutions until the summer. The centennial gift, comprising more than 50 prints, drawings, maquettes, prototypes and sculptures, will be shown across the neighboring museums, offering visitors a closer look at five decades of inventive practice.
Organized collaboratively by curators from both museums, the presentations draw on each institution’s strengths, putting the new acquisitions in dialogue with existing holdings. The Nasher Sculpture Center will, fittingly, play on Lichtenstein’s sculptural practice, pairing works from the Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection with over two dozen preparatory drawings and maquettes related to his iconic Brushstroke sculptures. Meanwhile, at the DMA, a set of the carved wooden Brushstroke works will be on view alongside prints and studies that trace Lichtenstein’s wide-ranging imagery — from comic strips to everyday objects and art historical references.
“This [partnership] exemplifies the collaborative spirit that makes the Dallas Arts District so special,” Tamara Wootton Forsyth, the DMA’s interim director said in a recent statement. “It’s a rare and exciting opportunity for visitors to experience the DMA and the Nasher in dialogue, discovering Lichtenstein’s creativity across two neighboring institutions while celebrating the strength and vibrancy of Dallas’s cultural community.”
Roy Lichtenstein in the Studio exhibitions are currently on view at the Nasher Sculpture Center and the DMA until August 16 and July 5 respectively.
