Duchamp, Lichtenstein and pop art
Two galleries in central London are currently hosting exhibitions devoted to major 20th century artists. The Barbican's show, entitled The Bride and the Bachelors, focuses on the work of pioneering French artist Marcel Duchamp. Meanwhile the Tate Modern has unveiled its latest blockbuster, a retrospective devoted to the Pop Art paintings of Roy Lichtenstein.
Yet the two shows take quite different approaches to their subjects, suggesting two different underlying attitudes towards popular culture. The Barbican exhibition is steeped in history, tracing the connections between Duchamp and a generation of younger US-based artists directly influenced by him. The Tate's show is much more straightforward, and ends up as flat and featureless as Lichtenstein's canvases.