''Blam'' (sometimes ''Blam!'') is a 1962 painting by

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein (; October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was an American pop artist. During the 1960s, along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and James Rosenquist among others, he became a leading figure in the new art movement. Hi ...

falling within the pop art idiom. It is one of his military comic book derivatives and was one of the works presented at his first solo exhibition. The work is in the collection at the

Yale University Art Gallery The Yale University Art Gallery (YUAG) is the oldest university art museum in the Western Hemisphere. It houses a major encyclopedic collection of art in several interconnected buildings on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. ...

History

The painting is based on

Russ Heath Russell Heath Jr. (September 29, 1926 – August 23, 2018), was an American artist best known for his comic book work, particularly his DC Comics war stories and his 1960s art for ''Playboy'' magazine's "Little Annie Fanny" feature. He also prod ...

's art in the

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

'' All-American Men of War'' issue #89 (January-February 1962), published by

National Periodical Publications National Comics Publications, Inc. (also known as NCP or simply National) was an American comic book publishing company, and the direct predecessor of modern-day DC Comics. History The corporation was originally two companies: National Allied P ...

. The painting depicts a pilot ejecting from an exploding plane. The same issue was the inspiration for several other Lichtenstein paintings, ''

Okay Hot-Shot, Okay! ''Okay Hot-Shot, Okay!'' (sometimes ''Okay Hot-Shot'') is a 1963 pop art painting by Roy Lichtenstein that uses his Ben-Day dots style and a text balloon. It is one of several examples of military art that Lichtenstein created between 1962 ...

'', ''

Brattata ''Brattata'' is a 1962 pop art painting by Roy Lichtenstein in his comic book style of using Ben-Day dots and a text balloon. The work is held in the collection at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. It is one of several Lichtenstein wor ...

'', ''

Whaam! ''Whaam!'' is a 1963 diptych painting by the American artist Roy Lichtenstein. It is one of the best-known works of pop art, and among Lichtenstein's most important paintings. ''Whaam!'' was first exhibited at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New ...

'' and ''Tex!'' The graphite pencil sketch, '' Jet Pilot'' was also from that issue. When Lichtenstein had his first solo show at The

Leo Castelli Gallery Leo Castelli (born Leo Krausz; September 4, 1907 – August 21, 1999) was an Italian-American art dealer who originated the contemporary art gallery system. His gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the movements which ...

in February 1962, it sold out before opening. ''Blam'' sold for $1000 ($ in dollars), according to one source, but less than $1000 according to another. The exhibition included ''

Look Mickey ''Look Mickey'' (also known as ''Look Mickey!'') is a 1961 oil on canvas painting by Roy Lichtenstein. Widely regarded as the bridge between his abstract expressionism and pop art works, it is notable for its ironic humor and aesthetic value ...

'', ''

Engagement Ring An engagement ring, also known as a betrothal ring, is a ring indicating that the person wearing it is engaged to be married, especially in Western cultures. A ring is presented as an engagement gift by a partner to their prospective spouse when ...

'' and ''The Refrigerator''. The show ran from February 10 through March 3. The work appeared in the exhibition entitled 'The New Realists' at the

Sidney Janis Gallery Sidney may refer to: People * Sidney (surname), English surname * Sidney (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Sidney (footballer, born 1972), full name Sidney da Silva Souza, Brazilian football defensive midfielder * Si ...

from November 1 to December 1, 1962.

Details

Lichtenstein began his war imagery efforts with single frame pictures such as ''BLAM''. ''Blam'' uses quintessential war imagery. Although the text is limited to one four-letter word, the narrative is unnecessary owing to the eminent realism presented. The canvas is loaded with images surrounding the focal figure, of the aircraft under attack. It is regarded, along with ''Takka Takka'' as "successful in their combination of brilliant color and narrative situation". ''Blam'' is a jest with the viewer that uses an exclamation without narrative context. Like ''Blang'' (1962) and ''Varoom'' (1963), ''Blams

onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', ''m ...

explodes "like a violent central sun over the entire composition". Lichtenstein has revised the original source so that the aircraft and its explosion are the joint foci from which the painting radiates. Unlike the original, which had substantive narrative content, Lichtenstein's version has more formality and a linear pattern, but a more simplified surface.

Notes

External links

Lichtenstein Foundation website
{{Roy Lichtenstein 1962 paintings Paintings by Roy Lichtenstein War paintings Aviation art

History

Details

See also

Notes

External links