Take a peek at this art installation!
It's Lichtenstein meets Monet, IN A BOTANICAL GARDEN.
I subscribe to Garden & Gun magazine as an exercise in seeing the good parts of southern culture, and their weekly newsletter, Talk of the South, has become a treasured moment of pause and peace on my Tuesdays. This week’s issue relayed news of an art installation in Sarasota, Florida, that I just had to share with y’all.
The Marie Selby Botanical Garden is currently showing an exhibit called Roy Lichtenstein: Monet’s Garden Goes Pop!, which blends and draws parallels between the 1960s pop artist and the late nineteenth century impressionist.
I learned in the G&G article that Lichtenstein visited Monet’s home in northern France twice, and that he recreated thematic pieces of Monet’s work, like water lilies and haystacks, in his own style.
The second cool tidbit I learned the article is that the dots Lichtenstein used to create gradient, texture, and depth in his work are called Ben Day dots, named for late 19th century print maker Benjamin Day, whocreated the illustration technique. In the photo above, the Lichtensteinian take on Monet’s house appears pink from a distance, but as the viewer gets closer, a myriad of red dots appear, revealing the lighter hue as a trick of perspective.
The dots are another example of how Lichtenstein’s and Monet’s worlds collide. Isn’t that just like, unbearably cool? If your definition of cool includes cross-century art history inspiration, I suppose. Mine sure does.
Take a scroll through more photos of the exhibit here.
I hope your week has technicolor blooms and Bed Day dots to your personal taste.
Until next week,
Elizabeth
This newsletter is just one facet of Zhuzh, my platform dedicated to conscious consumption and making space for delight. I offer secondhand-and-vintage-based wardrobe and interior styling services, art curation, and super chill life coaching. Keep up with me on Instagram and learn more at www.zhuzhlife.com.