I.14. "Paintings" Series, 1984
Corlett 201–208
From 1982 to 1985 Lichtenstein worked on a group of paintings that took “Paintings” as its subject. The “Paintings” prints continue that investigation, but with different implications in the concept of a “print”—versus a “painting”—of a painting.
For previous Gemini G.E.L. projects, such as the Bull Profile series, Lichtenstein had completed drawings in his studio and then executed collages once arriving at the workshop. But because of the complexity of the imagery, this time Lichtenstein chose to complete the collages in advance in his New York studio, shipping them to Gemini G.E.L. before his arrival there in March 1983.
The prints—which combine woodcut, lithography, screenprint, and collage—reflect the textures of their collage studies, combining metallic inks and foil elements. The painted brushstrokes (drawn on transfer paper for the lithographic plates) retain the directness of the original stroke. (See Fine 1984, p. 205.)
To create the foil collage elements, sheets of clear Mylar were coated on the back with pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive. Metal foil was rolled onto the front of the Mylar using hot-stamping. The prepared sheets were then die-cut, applied to the print, and fixed by running them through the lithography press. (See R. Cohen 1985a, p. 79.)
(Corlett 2002, p. 183)