AMERICAN INDIAN THEME I, 1980: Woodcut on paper by Roy Lichtenstein

  • American Indian Theme I, 1980, is a woodcut by Roy Lichtenstein featuring a depction of an

    American Indian Theme I, 1980

    Woodcut on handmade Suzuki paper, sheet: 83.2 x 81.3 cm

    Edition of 50; plus 18 AP, 1 RTP, 1 PPI, 1 A, 1 C (and 1 teaching-aide proof)

    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein

    BACK TO: AMERICAN INDIAN THEME 
     
    Roy Lichtenstein’s American Indian Theme I, 1980, presents a stylised composition inspired by visual motifs associated with Native American culture. The image is constructed from bold geometric shapes and flat areas of colour. On the right side of the print, blocks of yellow, red, white, and blue create a strong graphic structure. At the centre, a face emerges from a wood-textured pattern rendered in red and white, giving the figure a carved, mask-like appearance. A large eye outlined in black appears near the top of the face, while a black rectangular shape below suggests the mouth. Extending from behind the figure are five white baton-like forms interrupted by red rectangular elements.
     
    Additional symbolic details appear throughout the composition. At the lower edge of the print, a scroll form is paired with a yellow and black feather motif, while the background is defined by blue and white stripes that add visual movement. Created as a woodcut on handmade Suzuki paper, the print demonstrates Lichtenstein’s interest in the expressive qualities of relief printing. American Indian Theme I forms part of the American Indian Theme series from 1980, in which the artist reinterprets cultural imagery through the bold graphic language associated with Pop Art.

  • "Organised perception is what art is all about."

     

    - Roy Lichtenstein 

    Roy Lichtenstein’s interest in Native American imagery can be traced back to his early childhood, when visits to the American Museum of Natural History introduced him to Indigenous art and cultural artefacts. These early encounters left a lasting impression and later influenced several works throughout his career. Lichtenstein first explored related themes in some of his early paintings during the 1950s, before returning to the subject again in the American Indian Theme series of the 1980s.