Modern Head 4, 1970: Lithograph on aluminum by Roy Lichtenstein

  • Modern Head #4, 1970 is a print by Roy Lichtenstein
    Modern Head #4, 1970
    Lithograph on engraved and anodised aluminium, sheet: 52.4 x 43.5 cm
    Edition of 100; plus 7 AP, 1 RTP, 1 PPII, 3 GEL, 1 C
    ©The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
     
    BACK TO: MODERN HEAD SERIES
     
    Modern Head #4, 1970, presents one of the most explicitly industrial iterations of Lichtenstein’s Modern Head series, where the human figure is constructed through rigid geometric forms and metallic surfaces. The face is reduced to a system of circles, arcs, and angled planes, set against a field of Ben-Day dots. Unlike earlier works in the series, the use of engraved and anodised aluminium introduces a machined quality, with vertical striations mimicking the finish of industrial materials. The composition feels engineered rather than drawn, reinforcing the sense that the head has been fabricated rather than depicted.
     
    Produced in collaboration with Gemini G.E.L., the work exemplifies Lichtenstein’s engagement with industrial processes and materials. Drawing on influences from Constructivism and the machine aesthetics of early modernism, he pushes the idea of the “modern head” further, aligning it with manufacturing and mechanical production. 

  • "The importance of art is in the process of doing it" 

     
    - Roy Lichtenstein
    The use of anodised aluminium, developed with specialist fabricators, underscores his interest in bridging fine art and industrial technique. Here, the human form is fully integrated into a system of production, reflecting his broader concern with reproduction, standardisation, and the visual language of modern industry, where the image takes on the appearance of a manufactured object rather than a traditional work of art.