2.Semiotics: Signs in Roy Lichtenstein's re-creations

 Living in postmodern mediated era is like living in world that is filled up with hidden meanings and messages. Every day we are unconsciously involved into the process of decoding these messages from our surroundings. Within the art world, hidden signs and symbols are used to create deeper meanings by attaching references to various phenomena that already exist in artist's realia. Therefore, semiotics - a science about signs - is a powerful tool for interpretation and art critique.

I have chosen an example from the Pop art movement for the discussion of semiotic analyses. The movement emerged as an answer to major social and industrial shifts of the time, when mass production, consumerism and availability became pillars of the modern life. Thus, the art of that time was extremely influenced by this shift and played around with the symbols of the consumerism epoch (Cuddy, 2017).

Roy Lichtenstein 'Drowning Girl' 1963

On the denotative level of meaning is the style, which mimicking comic book art. We notice such features as thick black outlines, solid colors, lack of detailed picturing of face features, and, obviously, a thought bubble. Accordingly, the iconic sign here is a straightforward resemblance of the painting to the style of comic books. 

It gets more complicated on the connotative level. Lichtenstein's choice of the referent was not accidental. A significant feature of Pop art was an attempt to destroy the boundaries between high art and popular culture. Even though many comic book illustrators are still disappointed by the fact that Lichtenstein's copies were more acknowledged than the original sources (Childs, 2011) were, there was clearly something behind that rigorous re-creation. As commented by the artist:' Pop art looks out into the world; it appears to accept its environment, which is not good or bad, but different- another state of mind' (Rasnik, 2002). From the viewpoint of Pop art movement, the usage of reproduction-like image, copying of the illustration manner and print-like color pallet, that are present in this artwork,  can be seen as an index sign of an attempt to incorporate 'low culture', in this case, mass printing production, within the boundaries of fine art traditional practices. 

Similarly do the image of crying girl itself and the phrase in a bubble (that was also copied almost entirely from the source). Indisputably, these features together create an impression of ironic attitude of the artist. However, the fact that this particular image was chosen to be copied, means that the artist could consider it as relevant to depict his reality. By selecting this single comic panel, he ripped it from the original context and made it work as a separate piece with it's own meaning. Therefore, the viewer can only engage with the feelings that this one frame conveys. This image seems to be highly emotional. The word 'drowning', both in it's verbal and illustrated form (the waves that cover the girl), and the crying girl сan be symbolic signs of the contemporary society drowning in consumerism, and the drowning is voluntary.

Reference list:

Childs, B. (2011). Deconstructing Lichtenstein: Source Comics Revealed and Credited. [Online]. Available at: <http://comicsalliance.com/deconstructing-lichtenstein-source-comics-revealed-and-credited/> (Accessed 9 October 2017). 

Cuddy, D. (2017). Roy Lichtenstein. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.widewalls.ch/artist/roy-lichtenstein/> (Accessed 10 October 2017).

Rasnik, J. (2002).  The Comic Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.people.vcu.edu/~djbromle/modern-art/02/Roy-Lichtenstein/index.htm> (Accessed 10 October 2017).