Modern Head 5, 1970: From Lichtensteins Modern Head Series

  • Roy Lichtenstein *Modern Head #5* (1970), featuring a geometric profile formed from black embossed graphite and die-cut shapes on white paper with textured dot patterns.

    Modern Head #5, 1970

    Embossed graphite with Strathmore die-cut paper overlay, mounted in white lacquered aluminium frame with wood stretcher support, sheet: 71.1 x 49.5 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 #5, 1970, represents the most materially experimental work in Lichtenstein’s Modern Head series, where the image is constructed through embossing and layered surfaces rather than traditional printing alone. The face emerges from sharply defined geometric cut-outs, with curved and angular forms assembling a fragmented profile. Raised graphite areas and die-cut overlays create a tactile, sculptural quality, while the contrast between matte black textures and smooth white surfaces reinforces the sense of depth and structure. The composition feels engineered and physical, as if the image has been built rather than drawn.
     
    Produced using embossed graphite with a die-cut paper overlay and mounted within a white lacquered aluminium frame, the work pushes Lichtenstein’s interest in industrial processes to its limit. Influenced by early modernist ideas of the mechanised figure, he transforms the human head into a constructed object, aligned with manufacturing and design. The use of relief, texture, and industrial materials emphasises process and production, reinforcing his broader exploration of how images can be standardised, fabricated, and experienced as objects within modern visual culture.

  • "I'm excited about seeing things, and I'm interested in the way I think other people saw things." 

    - Roy Lichtenstein

    The Modern Head series marks a shift in Lichtenstein’s practice toward a more industrial and conceptual treatment of the human figure, where the face is constructed from geometric forms, lines, and mechanical patterns. Inspired by Jawlensky but stripped of expression, these works reframe portraiture through the lens of Constructivism and early modernist machine aesthetics. Through varied materials and processes, Lichtenstein reinforces the idea that the image is fabricated rather than drawn, presenting the human head as a product of systems, reproduction, and industrial design.