A new street art piece appeared this weekend at one of the main intersections in the Mueller development. Local street artists have been officially and unofficially using anonymous utility boxes as canvases for some wonderful images. This new offering is from celebrated local artist, Truth. My wife and I noticed this striking image and had to stop for a closer look.
The composition is a direct reference to the art of Roy Lichtenstein, who in the 1960’s embodied a movement known as Pop Art. Using imagery from advertising or other mass produced publications, Pop Art works elevated pedestrian graphics to high art. For Lichtenstein, who often painted oversized frames from comic books, the text block often delivered an ironic or editorial twist.
Roy Lichtenstein, Drowning Girl, 1963, on display at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Fair Use
However, there’s no apparent twist in Truth’s stylized graphic of a stereotypic librarian or studious 1960’s woman with glasses. Her thought bubble is shared, I’m certain, by many in the neighborhood. I angled one picture to play against two major trends in this lovely town: the bicycle and the construction site!
I LOVE THIS TOWN!! is located at the intersection of E 51st St and Berkman Drive, Austin, Texas