Imperfect Diptych 57 7/8" x 93 3/4": Print by Roy Lichtenstein

  • Imperfect Diptych 57 7/8" x 93 3/4", 1988 is a print by Roy Lichtenstein

    Imperfect Diptych 57 7/8" x 93 3/4", 1988

    Woodcut, screenprint, and collage on Archivart 4-ply Museum Board, Sheet: 147.2 x 238.1 cm

    Edition of 45; plus 14 AP, 1 RTP, 1 PPII, 3 GEL, 1 C, 7 SP

    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein

     

    BACK TO: IMPERFECT SERIES 
     
    Roy Lichtenstein’s Imperfect Diptych 57 7/8" x 93 3/4", 1988, is a bold abstract composition from the Imperfect series, structured as two panels that visually echo one another while maintaining subtle differences. In the left panel, a large dark grey rectangular plane dominates the upper portion, grounded by a red and cream striped shape below. A thin green line runs through the centre of the composition, dividing the geometric elements and adding a sense of directional movement across the surface.
     
    The right panel mirrors this arrangement but introduces a striking variation: a triangular form filled with blue Ben-Day dots protrudes from the rectangle and breaks into the surrounding space. Beneath it sits another red and cream striped block, while additional geometric shapes in red, teal and yellow add colour contrast and visual rhythm. Executed in woodcut, screenprint and collage on Archivart 4-ply Museum Board, the print exemplifies Lichtenstein’s exploration of geometric abstraction, pattern and deliberate irregularity within the Imperfect series.

  • "I think it's the tension between what seems to be so rigid and cliched and the fact that art really can't be this way."

     

    - Roy Lichtenstein

    Lichtenstein repeatedly used Ben-Day dots as a way to bridge the worlds of commercial printing and fine art. Adapted from the dot patterns used in comic books and newspaper illustrations, the technique allowed him to create areas of tone and shading while maintaining a mechanical, graphic appearance. In many of his prints, the dots function as both texture and structure, filling geometric shapes or modelling figures while reinforcing the flatness of the image. By enlarging and carefully controlling the dot pattern, Lichtenstein turned a simple printing device into one of the most recognisable visual signatures of Pop Art.