The original of Lichtenstein’s 1963 painting, Drowning Girl, read, “I don’t care! I’d rather sink– than call Brad for help!” In this unique 60 x 40 inch chromogenic print by NY photographer Alex Guofeng Cao, the speech bubble has yet again been altered, this time to evoke a sense of frailty in the pop artist’s once strikingly independent and humorous female subject.
The smaller, contrasting pixelations are composed of mirrored images of the original DC Comics illustration of the girl Lichtenstein reproduced.
About the artist:
Originally from China, Alex Guofeng Cao is an established photographer now based in New York. He credits photography greats such as Avedon, Weston, and Mapplethorpe for inciting his passion for photography and artistic experimentation.
His preferred medium is black-and-white, saying that it is only the colors of this spectrum that he needs to create his world. With exhibitions in galleries and museums around the world, Cao’s work has quickly resonated within the collecting world.
By juxtaposing two iconic images, Cao encodes greater meaning into familiar images of pop icons and masterworks. Cao has exhibited at prestigious shows such as Art Basel in both Switzerland and Miami Beach; Scope Basel and Scope Miami, ArtHamptons and more. His work has also been featured in prominent publications such as the LA Times, Haute Living, the Boston Herald, Art in America, The Miami Herald, and more.
