Lichtenstein @ Tate Modern, London.

Not Bothered
Am I the only one who’s not bothered about Lichtenstein? I know its not cool to expect an emotional connection with a modern painting, and that’s not what it’s about. But Lichtenstein does take the art ridiculing art concept to a completely new plane and his intellectual wonderings leave you stone cold. May be I’m completely missing the point here and it is his ability to objectify the existence of art that needs admiring? Lichtenstein’s rejection of make-belief reminds me of the dark period in Disney animation- sometime in the Nineties- where the fairytale magic was relegated to the background and the emotional sincerity replaced with wise-cracking donkeys and lamas.

Brushstrokes
Taken within its own context, I liked how his Brushstrokes were about actual brushstrokes and nothing else- “Brushstrokes in paintings convey a sense of grand gesture, but in my hands, the brushstrokes become the depiction of a grand gesture”.

Benday
Similarly, in The Magnifying Glass, Lichtenstein has his iconic benday dots seen through the glass, erm, magnified, thus completely subverting his own style. In effect the painting could be called This is not a Magnifying Glass– so don’t suspend your belief yet.

Talk to me
I am always tempted to ask others what they think of art on display but wary of striking a conversation with overtly arty types they satirise in The Private Eye or with the gormless tourists having no opinion on what they’re seeing. Akin to striking a conversation on the tube, I’ll probably be seen as a socially challenged weirdo. Nevertheless, I promise next time I’ll make an effort- I’ll do the un-British thing and ask a random gallery visitor their opinion.