Silhouetted against the urban skyline, the flat planes and curvilinear geometric forms of the sculpture blend the streamlined industrial style of 1930s art deco architecture and design with references to Picasso and Apollo, the Greek god of the arts. In 1990 the artist painted one a vibrant blue, making the sculpture in American Art’s collection a unique work. In 1989 he produced an edition of four in brushed steel. Lichtenstein created the first Modern Head in 1974 out of wood that was painted blue. This concept pervaded the artist’s work throughout his career.
The sculpture is part of a series Lichtenstein began in the late 1960s that explored the idea of creating images of human figures that look like machines. Modern Head stands thirty-one feet tall and is made of stainless steel painted blue. The Smithsonian American Art Museum acquired the monumental sculpture Modern Head by Roy Lichtenstein, a major figure in the pop art movement, in 2008.
Loria in loving memory of his sister, Harriet Loria Popowitz, 2008.28A-F, © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein Roy Lichtenstein, Modern Head, 1974/1990, painted stainless steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jeffrey H. Wednesday, Janu– MATTHEW BRADY ALSO PHOTOGRAPHED WOMEN.Thursday, January 20,2022 – WHO SAID ART WAS DULL IN BLACK AND WHITE?.Friday, Janu– THE ARTIST THAT USED CRAFTS AND ESTHETIC IN HIS ART.Weekend, January 22-23, 2022 – IMAGINE CIRCUMNAVIGATING THE WORLD AND LANDING AT LA GUARDIA.Monday, Janu– A GREAT PUNCH OF COLOR FOR MID-WINTER.