Bull VI

Bull VI is a major print created in 1973 by Roy Lichtenstein, Serge Lozingot, Ron McPherson, Robbin Geiger, and Gemini G.E.L. This American work exemplifies the highly collaborative nature of advanced printmaking during the post-war period. Executed utilizing a complex technical matrix of color lithograph, screenprint, and line-cut on high-quality Arjomari wove paper, the finished piece demonstrates a mastery of layered graphic techniques necessary for achieving Pop Art’s characteristic flatness and precision.

Created within the significant cultural period spanning 1951 to 1975, the work reflects G.E.L.’s continued engagement with artistic appropriation. The image of the bull places the piece within a series where the artist systematically deconstructs historically recognized artistic subjects—such as the Iberian bull motif frequently employed by modern masters—translating them through his signature language of mass reproduction. This process involves simplifying the subject’s form and employing the visual vocabulary of commercial printing, thereby blurring the line between traditional artistic representation and contemporary graphic production. The final composition retains the inherent vigor of the subject while rendering it in a graphically immediate and highly stylized manner.

The skillful combination of techniques provides textural contrast, juxtaposing the smooth, large areas of color achieved through lithography and screenprinting with the sharp, defined edges created by the line-cut element. As a pivotal example of 20th-century American graphic work, this print underscores the importance of the medium not simply for reproduction, but as a primary method of creative output. The work is classified specifically as a print and is permanently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a significant record of collaborative artistic achievement from the early 1970s.