ARTISTS
The Vault: Roy Lichtenstein
This work was selected by Katherine Jaede (Collections Assistant and Graduate Student in the Department of Arts, Cultural Management and Museum Studies at Michigan State University), who explains: “I chose this work because the graphic nature of Lichtenstein’s work has always been very aesthetically appealing to me. One of the elements of this piece I find so intriguing is the idealized portrayal of a woman. The bouffant hair, the thick black eyeliner, and the heavy-lidded eyelashes speak to trends readily associated with the 1960s. The woman’s face is a depiction of sadness that can be felt by the viewer. It is important to note that the image was created by a man during a time when women were fighting for equality and representation in the United States. I believe there is still great societal pressure for women to present themselves in physically idealized ways, and that often clashes with mental or inner turmoil we feel when faced with the pressure of upkeeping these unrealistic standards and expectations day after day.”
The Vault
The Vault, which also houses some of the works from our permanent collection, is dedicated to featuring and displaying works chosen by MSU students who work at the museum. Each month, one of our student gallery guides selects a piece from our collection and writes a short text explaining why they chose it and believe it should be displayed. By providing our gallery guides with an opportunity to participate in the curatorial process of selection and display, we aim to open a dialogue with the student community while simultaneously sharing with the public works from the collection that would otherwise remain in storage.
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This work was selected by Katherine Jaede (Collections Assistant and Graduate Student in the Department of Arts, Cultural Management and Museum Studies at Michigan State University), who explains: “I chose this work because the graphic nature of Lichtenstein’s work has always been very aesthetically appealing to me. One of the elements of this piece I find so intriguing is the idealized portrayal of a woman. The bouffant hair, the thick black eyeliner, and the heavy-lidded eyelashes speak to trends readily associated with the 1960s. The woman’s face is a depiction of sadness that can be felt by the viewer. It is important to note that the image was created by a man during a time when women were fighting for equality and representation in the United States. I believe there is still great societal pressure for women to present themselves in physically idealized ways, and that often clashes with mental or inner turmoil we feel when faced with the pressure of upkeeping these unrealistic standards and expectations day after day.”
The Vault
The Vault, which also houses some of the works from our permanent collection, is dedicated to featuring and displaying works chosen by MSU students who work at the museum. Each month, one of our student gallery guides selects a piece from our collection and writes a short text explaining why they chose it and believe it should be displayed. By providing our gallery guides with an opportunity to participate in the curatorial process of selection and display, we aim to open a dialogue with the student community while simultaneously sharing with the public works from the collection that would otherwise remain in storage.
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