Essay by Beth Repay Swanson, Class of 1987

In CRAK!, Roy Lichtenstein illustrated the commercial themes of Pop Art and culture while exploring his graphic themes of war, violence and women. At the same time, he demonstrated a distinctive style and visual appeal. Lichtenstein, perhaps most associated with the comic strip style, took the low-art of the comic and elevated it to a form of high-art that was and remains in great demand, hanging in museums and galleries world-wide.

An initial viewing of CRAK!-with its red flare bursting forth from the rifle, disconcertingly piercing our picture plane with obvious violence-begs the question: "At whom is this French woman firing her gun?" Is she a Resistance fighter shooting at the enemy? Is this meant to be an anti-war statement or an argument for the "Good War" conception of World War II, stemming from Lichtenstein's own experience serving in the army in Europe during World War II? At a yet deeper level, could the violence be aimed directly at the state of art itself? While stylistically this French woman may be seen as merely an object with her stylish beret, arched brow and long lashes, it is interesting to note that she does not assume the role of victim as we find with many of Lichtenstein's other cartoon women (Waldman 113-127). Rather, she is in a position of dominance and assertion and takes on a heroine-like role, though admittedly in cartoon form.

With Lichtenstein, it is critical to understand not only what is printed and painted but how it was executed. The simplicity of color and line is so smooth, un-painterly and commercial in appearance, that the final result gives no hint of the skill required to produce it, almost appearing to be a reproduction even when original. Here in CRAK! we see the prominence of white and black punctuated with an acidic yellow and a deep red. The contours imitating printed ink are bold and deep, emphasizing the compositional flatness existing on a single plane. The cropped frame focuses and intensifies the drama and immediacy unfolding before us, giving the composition a snapshot-like effect.