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

Lichtenstein’s American Indian Theme II, 1980, brings together a dynamic arrangement of bold shapes and colours to create a visually complex composition. The image draws on patterns and motifs associated with Indigenous decorative traditions, reinterpreted through Lichtenstein’s graphic Pop Art style. Along the left side of the composition, a deep red form with a jagged, spiked edge frames the image, while areas of bright yellow sit behind a large black shape from which short black lines radiate outward. At the centre, a cream coloured geometric structure with stepped edges extends from a black spiral form, creating a striking focal point within the composition.

 

The right side of the print introduces additional patterns and contrasting shapes. A blue and white striped background is intersected by a series of graphic elements, including zigzag stair like forms and a cloud shaped motif rendered in white. These layered shapes create a sense of visual movement across the surface of the image. Created as a woodcut on handmade paper, American Indian Theme II forms part of Lichtenstein’s American Indian Theme series from 1980. In these works, the artist reinterprets recognisable cultural motifs through flat colour, geometric structure, and the bold graphic language that characterises his Pop Art practice.