“Drowning Girl,” 1963, is a painting by Roy Lichtenstein. Image provided.

By Darla McCammon
and DeeAnna Muraski
Guest Columnists

WARSAW — Our Art in America series is headed into the early 1960s. At this point, we had made it through World War II; however, the Cold War is fresh on our minds, and the looming Vietnam War will not end until 1975.

But for a while, America gets a respite and a breath of fresh air with the nomination and “by the skin of his teeth” win of the presidency by prior naval officer John F. Kennedy. The election is the first time Hawaii and Alaska are included in the hot election, resulting in a 49% to 49% tally between Richard Nixon and Kennedy. America was craving something new and fresh with a young good-looking president and equally charming socialite wife, Jacqueline; it appears we are headed in a rosy direction.

Unfortunately, we know how this all panned out. But for a while, we will stay in our euphoric bubble. The art world is also adapting to the flush of excitement and possibility. During times of optimism, people thrive with the creation of new inventions, no longer held back by fear and trepidation. American art responds with Pop Art — a movement so bright and contemporary the whole world catches its breath.

Like many of the previous movements, Pop Art was introduced due to the express rejection of abstract expressionism. Roy Lichtenstein opposed the idea of expressing internal emotions on the canvas. Lichtenstein was born in New York in 1923 and lived there most of his life. He attended Ohio State University but was drafted and served in Europe in 1945, eventually returning to receive a master’s degree at OSU and teach there. For his art career, Lichtenstein was ideally placed in New York and Europe as those areas proved to be American art hubs. Without the use of computers, the internet and mass social media, proximity to other artists was paramount to success in the 1960s and really any time prior. His move to teaching at Rutgers University’s companion college, Douglass College for women, was a catalyst for when he found himself as an artist.

Lichtenstein is most well-known for taking simple comic book characters and elevating them into high art. Even though he pushed against expressionism, most of his paintings reflected a character emoting in some way: fear, angst, sadness, triumph. What previously were throwaway 10-cent comic book magazines now became highly collectible as art when portrayed on canvas. We will continue the discussion on Lichtenstein’s life and another famous pop artist next week. As they say in the comic books, “Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion!”

Notices

Congratulations: The 2024 Congressional Art Competition winners for District 3 (Jim Banks) are: Tait M. Reiger from Leo High School, first place; Keith Knafel from Central Noble High School, second place, and Emily Milholland from Concordia Lutheran High School, third place. The winners for District 2 (Rudy Yakym) are: Nina Foresman from John Glenn High School, first place; and Joshua Westfall from John Glenn High School, second place. The bipartisan program emphasizes the importance of art in the community and gives students a chance to have their art displayed at the U.S. Capitol. Indiana has nine congressional districts.

Warsaw City Hall Art Gallery: The new exhibitor is Brenda Ramseier. City Hall is located at 102 S. Buffalo St. in downtown Warsaw. The exhibits are on the first floor, and the building is handicapped-accessible. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Darla McCammon is an artist, columnist and author. DeeAnna Muraski is executive director of Operation Read USA Inc. Send an email to the mother/daughter team at either [email protected] or [email protected].