ROY LICHTENSTEIN : Painting with Scattered Brushstrockes
Mar 10 - Apr 25, 2026
Gagosian Gallery, 541W 24th St, New York, NY, 10011
I recently visited the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition at Gagosian. While he has always been one of my favorite artists, I’ve usually only caught a glimpse of his work in various collection displays. This felt like my first time truly experiencing a proper solo exhibition dedicated to him.
It was a wonderful opportunity to see his later "brushstroke" works, which lean more toward abstraction, gathered in one place—moving beyond the iconic pieces I had previously known. Personally, I found these abstract paintings to be incredibly modern and contemporary. While general collection shows usually only feature one or two of his most famous works, being able to explore such a diverse range of his practice made this experience feel even more special and precious.
It was a wonderful opportunity to see his later "brushstroke" works, which lean more toward abstraction, gathered in one place—moving beyond the iconic pieces I had previously known. Personally, I found these abstract paintings to be incredibly modern and contemporary. While general collection shows usually only feature one or two of his most famous works, being able to explore such a diverse range of his practice made this experience feel even more special and precious.
안녕하세요. 가고시안에서 있었던 로이 리히텐슈타인 전시 다녀왔어요. 언제나 마음속의 좋아하는 작가로 있었지만 가끔 소장품전에서만 볼뿐, 제대로 된 개인전을 보는건 이번이 처음인것 같아요. 제가 기억하고있는 리히텐슈타인의 작업들뿐만이 아닌, 작가 후반기의 조금 더 추상에 가까운 브러쉬 스트록 작업들을 한자리에서 모아서 볼 수 있었던 좋은 기회였어요. 개인적으로는 이런 추상 페인팅들도 굉장히 모던하고 현대적으로 느껴졌어요. 소장품 전시에는 작가의 유명한 작품들만 한두 점 볼수 있었는데, 다양한 작업들을 보는게 더욱더 소중한 기회로 느껴졌어요.
Gagosian is pleased to announce Painting with Scattered Brushstrokes, an exhibition of works by Roy Lichtenstein opening on March 19, 2026. The exhibition assembles a selection of significant paintings, a sculpture, watercolors, and other works on paper exclusively from the Collection of the Lichtenstein Family. Titled after a 1984 canvas by Lichtenstein, Painting with Scattered Brushstrokes highlights the importance of the brushstroke as a formal and symbolic device in the artist’s practice.
In the works from the 1970s and ’80s that are the exhibition’s focus, Lichtenstein returned to one of his iconic motifs with renewed creativity. The artist first approached the brushstroke as subject in 1965, translating it into heavily outlined bands of color that read as illustrations of the painterly mark. Synonymous with the bravura and spontaneity of Abstract Expressionism, but meticulously defined with flat shapes and clear contours, Lichtenstein’s Pop-inflected brushstrokes represent this essential element of painting in ways that further his engagement with issues of style and originality.
Works on paper from the era include original compositions as well as preliminary studies for paintings, sculptures, and other major projects, such as Mural with Blue Brushstroke (1984), a large-scale public commission first unveiled at 787 Seventh Avenue forty years ago, in which the blue brushstroke doubles as a waterfall.
The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue, with a foreword by Larry Gagosian.
가고시안 갤러리는 2026년 3월 19일에 개막하는 로이 리히텐슈타인의 전시 《흩어진 붓자국이 있는 회화(Painting with Scattered Brushstrokes)》 개최 소식을 기쁘게 전합니다. 이번 전시는 리히텐슈타인 유족의 소장품(Collection of the Lichtenstein Family)만으로 구성되었으며, 주요 회화 작품들과 조각, 수채화, 그리고 종이 매체 작업들을 한데 모았습니다. 1984년 작 캔버스 제목에서 이름을 딴 이번 전시는 작가의 작업 세계에서 형식적이고 상징적인 도구로서 '붓자국(brushstroke)'이 갖는 중요성을 조명합니다.
이번 전시의 중심이 되는 1970년대와 80년대 작품들에서 리히텐슈타인은 자신의 상징적인 모티프 중 하나로 돌아가 새로운 창의성을 발휘했습니다. 작가는 1965년에 처음으로 붓자국을 작품의 주제로 다루기 시작했는데, 당시 그는 회화적 흔적을 일러스트처럼 보이게 하는 굵은 윤곽선의 색 띠로 변환해 표현했습니다. 추상표현주의의 호방함과 즉흥성을 상징하면서도, 리히텐슈타인의 팝아트적 붓자국은 평면적인 형태와 선명한 윤곽선으로 정교하게 정의되어 있습니다. 이는 회화의 핵심 요소를 재해석함으로써 스타일과 독창성이라는 문제에 대한 작가의 탐구를 한층 더 심화시킨 결과물입니다.
당시의 종이 매체 작업들에는 독자적인 구성의 작품들뿐만 아니라 회화, 조각, 그리고 주요 프로젝트를 위한 예비 연구(에스키스)들이 포함되어 있습니다. 그중 대표적인 예로 《푸른 붓자국이 있는 벽화(Mural with Blue Brushstroke)》(1984)를 들 수 있는데, 이는 40년 전 787 세븐스 애비뉴에서 처음 공개된 대형 공공 미술 프로젝트로, 여기서 푸른 붓자국은 폭포의 형상을 동시에 나타내기도 합니다.
전시와 함께 래리 가고시안의 서문이 실린 도록이 발간될 예정입니다.
A recent book on Lichtenstein worth checking out.
A closer look at Lichtenstein’s work
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I wonder why Gagosian never allows video recording. While photography is fully permitted, videos are strictly prohibited. It’s a bit disappointing, but I still enjoyed the visit. Out of all the galleries in New York, this is the only one with such a rule. The security at Gagosian is always quite tight, giving it a somewhat heavy atmosphere every time I visit. Still, it’s the rule, so I made sure to follow it. The Gagosian on 24th Street, in particular, feels like the flagship location, so every exhibition there is a "mega-exhibition." I’m already looking forward to seeing what they have planned next.
