The Whitney Museum of American Art will present Like New, a major retrospective dedicated to Roy Lichtenstein, opening in New York on October 11. Bringing together more than 130 works spanning painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, sculpture and film, the exhibition reexamines the Pop Art pioneer’s career through a contemporary perspective, highlighting his enduring influence on image-making, appropriation and visual culture.
Curated by Meg Onli and artist Alex Da Corte, alongside Nakai Falcón and David Crane, the exhibition follows Lichtenstein’s artistic evolution from his early investigations into perception, consumer culture and mass media to the works that defined his international reputation.
Exhibition reunites iconic works and recreates landmark installations
Like New features celebrated artworks including Look Mickey (1961), Drowning Girl (1963) and Masterpiece (1962), offering visitors a comprehensive view of Lichtenstein’s groundbreaking approach to transforming everyday imagery into fine art.
Among the exhibition’s highlights is the complete eight-piece Pop collection, allowing audiences to revisit the artist’s landmark 1962 debut at Leo Castelli Gallery in an intimate presentation reminiscent of the studio donation made to the Whitney in 2023. In addition, three large-scale murals will be recreated, including the 96-foot Greene Street Mural (1983), while co-curator Alex Da Corte will realise an outdoor presentation of Girl in Window (1964).
Survey examines Lichtenstein’s legacy beyond Pop Art
Rather than focusing solely on Lichtenstein’s best-known paintings, the exhibition also explores his lasting impact on contemporary artistic practice. Accordingly, the Whitney pairs his work with artists including Louise Lawler, Richard Pettibone and Sturtevant, expanding the exhibition’s examination of appropriation, reproduction and the evolving life of images.
Lichtenstein’s practice transformed familiar imagery drawn from comics, advertising and popular culture into a distinctive artistic language that reshaped the boundaries between commercial graphics and fine art. Reflecting on this approach, the artist once said: “All my art is in some way about other art, even if the other art is cartoons.”
Like New opens at the Whitney Museum of American Art on October 11, with member previews taking place from October 8 to 10. The exhibition positions Roy Lichtenstein’s work within ongoing conversations about visual culture, reproduction and the circulation of images, underscoring the continued relevance of his practice in the digital age.