Grrrrrrrrrrr
Grrrrrrrrrrr
Signed Print
Roy Lichtenstein
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77 x 59cm, Lithograph
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Meaning & Analysis
Roy Lichtenstein’s Grrrrr! from 1965 is based on a large-scale painting from the same year. The work depicts a robust four-legged protagonist growling straight at the beholder. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York utilised the work as a promotional poster for several of its Lichtenstein retrospectives. The composition also appeared on the cover of ARTnews.
The composition was derived from DC Comics’ “Our Fighting Forces”, which served as the source for several war-themed pieces by Lichtenstein. The artist worked on numerous depictions of the military-industrial complex during and after the Vietnam War, providing comedic yet impactful social commentaries. His fiery As I Opened Fire and Explosion are remarkable examples. Taking the original cartoon frame, in which only a portion of the dog's head is visible, the artist expands the furry character, assigning him a furious attitude.
Using the visual language of commercial imagery, Lichtenstein’s Ben Day dots, bold outlines and sparse primary colours create fine art with low brow methods. In line with Knock, Knock and Whaam!, the work has an onomatopoeic caption. The wordplay, “Grrrrrrrrrrr!!", matched with the dog’s cartoon growl perfectly showcases Lichtenstein's wry sense of humour within his signature pop style.