Mirror 8, 1972: Print by Roy Lichtenstein

  • Roy Lichtenstein Mirror #8 (1972), two oval abstract forms with black, green, and Ben-Day dot patterns suggesting reflective surfaces.
    Mirror #8, 1972
    Lithograph and screenprint on Special Arjomari paper, sheet: 103.8 x 134.6 cm
    Edition of 50; plus 9 AP, 1 RTP, 1 PPII, 3 GEL, 1 C
    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
     
    BACK TO: MIRRORS SERIES

     

     
    Mirror #8, 1972,  expands Roy Lichtenstein’s Mirror series into a dual composition, presenting two oval forms side by side that appear to reflect variations of the same visual system. One is dominated by a deep black field intersected by a sweeping green form, while the other introduces a lighter surface structured through Ben-Day dots and vertical colour bands. Together, they create a dialogue between density and openness, darkness and light, suggesting two distinct yet related interpretations of reflective surfaces.
     
    This pairing reinforces Lichtenstein’s interest in seriality and variation, where meaning emerges through comparison rather than singular representation. The works do not depict reflections in a literal sense, but instead mirror each other conceptually, using repeated motifs and subtle shifts in composition to evoke the behaviour of light across different surfaces. Through lithograph and screenprint, Lichtenstein achieves a precise, mechanical finish that underscores the artificiality of the image, transforming the idea of reflection into a structured, repeatable visual language.

  • "Organised perception is what art all about... It is a process." 

    - Roy Lichtenstein

    In Lichtenstein’s Mirror series, the mirror is stripped of its traditional function and reimagined as a purely visual construct. Rather than reflecting the external world, these works reflect the systems and conventions through which images are made and understood. Using Ben-Day dots, flat colour fields, and precise linear divisions, Lichtenstein reduces the mirror to a set of recognisable signs, allowing viewers to identify it without any literal reflection.