Roy Lichtenstein’s Rainforest print was created in 1992, to raise money for the Artists United for Nature initiative that would donate proceedings towards worldwide rainforest preservation. This initiative accompanied the UN Earth Summit, along with the 500th year anniversary of explorer Christopher Columbus’s first arrival in America. The print is in an edition of 100.

In this print, Lichtenstein makes the natural unnatural. The artists utilised his signature ben-day dots to create a background of bright blue dots to suggest the sky, with green lines domineering across the paper, both of which juxtapose the lush, organic looking foliage on the tree. The meticulous nature of the print contrasts with its subject matter, turning the rainforest into a distinctly pop art memento. The exotic setting is imbued with new dimensionality and texture through these techniques.

This print underscores Lichtenstein’s ability to blend pop art with natural themes, creating a unique dialogue between the natural and the unnatural.