--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm trying to make paintings like giant…" description: "\"I'm trying to make paintings like giant musical chords, with a polyphony of colours that is nuts but works.\" — Roy Lichtenstein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/roy-lichtenstein-8803_like_i-m-trying-to-make-paintings-like-giant_2332120.png" --- # I'm trying to make paintings like giant musical chords… ![“I'm trying to make paintings like giant musical chords, with a polyphony of colours that is nuts but works.” quote by Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/roy-lichtenstein-8803_like_i-m-trying-to-make-paintings-like-giant_2332120.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/roy-lichtenstein-8803_like_i-m-trying-to-make-paintings-like-giant_2332120.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/roy-lichtenstein-8803_like_i-m-trying-to-make-paintings-like-giant_2332120.png) > “I'm trying to make paintings like giant musical chords, with a polyphony of colours that is nuts but works.” [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The artist aims to blend visual art with musical structure, creating vivid, harmonious compositions that feel chaotic yet cohesive. **In simple terms:** He wants paintings that look like music, colorful and harmonious despite seeming wild. Key Takeaway Embrace chaotic harmony in art. Themes creativity visual music color theory Mood excited inspired Type artistic experimental When to use this quote - gallery exhibition - personal studio work - collaborative projects Key Concepts synesthesia artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - How can you translate sound into visual form? - What techniques help maintain harmony in complex designs? A Different Perspective Balancing chaos and cohesion can be difficult for viewers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chords Polyphony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chords-polyphony-5613513/) [Colours Nuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colours-nuts-5613514/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Make Paintings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-paintings-1204352/) [Nuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuts/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Paintings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paintings/) [Paintings Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paintings-like-234459/) [Polyphony Colours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polyphony-colours-5613512/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [In a way, my paintings are like my children. They have many possibilities in life. You tell them, 'I believe that you're good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-bisky/in-a-way-my-paintings-are-like-my-children-they-have-many/) [Norbert Bisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-bisky/) > [It is not your paintings I like, it is your painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/it-is-not-your-paintings-i-like-it-is-your-painting/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [What really surprised me was how strange my paintings are anyway. To me, it's like, "Let's paint some portraits and some objects. Don't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-cooke/what-really-surprised-me-was-how-strange-my-paintings-are-anyway-to/) [Nigel Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-cooke/) > [“Paintings! They're like TV, but they don't move. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/paintings-they-re-like-tv-but-they-don-t-move/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Modern paintings are like women, you'll never enjoy them if you try to understand them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/modern-paintings-are-like-women-you-ll-never-enjoy-them-if-you-try-to/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [Paintings are not like the Internet. They're not like movies. They're not electronic-friendly. You have to go see them. You have to stand in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/paintings-are-not-like-the-internet-they-re-not-like-movies-they-re/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [Characters I've played, they used to impact my paintings, like 80 percent of the time, and especially when I was doing an action film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/characters-i-ve-played-they-used-to-impact-my-paintings-like-80/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [The spot paintings and spin paintings were trying to find mechanical ways to make paintings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/the-spot-paintings-and-spin-paintings-were-trying-to-find-mechanical/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [I want to make paintings that look as if they were made by a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-michel-basquiat/i-want-to-make-paintings-that-look-as-if-they-were-made-by-a-child/) [Jean-Michel Basquiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-michel-basquiat/) > [I continue to make paintings of people and their moments in our time because I am of that time. Out of that I hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burton-silverman/i-continue-to-make-paintings-of-people-and-their-moments-in-our-time/) [Burton Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burton-silverman/) > [I have always wanted to make paintings that are impossible to walk past, paintings that grab and hold your attention. The more you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-brown/i-have-always-wanted-to-make-paintings-that-are-impossible-to-walk/) [Cecily Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-brown/) > [“Matisse never hoped to save lives. But he repeatedly said that he wanted to make paintings so serenely beautiful that when one came upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-scarry/matisse-never-hoped-to-save-lives-but-he-repeatedly-said-that-he/) [Elaine Scarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-scarry/) > [I make paintings, try to get others to look at them and hopefully buy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-make-paintings-try-to-get-others-to-look-at-them-and-hopefully-buy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Painting is a solitary act for me; I don't need anyone around to make paintings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-fox/painting-is-a-solitary-act-for-me-i-don-t-need-anyone-around-to-make/) [Danny Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-fox/) ## More by Roy Lichtenstein > [I think art was the one thing my high school didn't give. And I think that was probably one reason why I was interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/i-think-art-was-the-one-thing-my-high-school-didn-t-give-and-i-think/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [In America the biggest is the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/in-america-the-biggest-is-the-best/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [Pollock really invented something. No one painted like him - or de Kooning or Still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/pollock-really-invented-something-no-one-painted-like-him-or-de/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [Pop Art looks out into the world. It doesn't look like a painting of something, it looks like the thing itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/pop-art-looks-out-into-the-world-it-doesn-t-look-like-a-painting-of/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [I think you go nuts when you get older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/i-think-you-go-nuts-when-you-get-older/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [There must be something about art... almost all cultures have done art. It's a refining of the senses, which are there to keep us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/there-must-be-something-about-art-almost-all-cultures-have-done-art/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [But when I worked on a painting I would do it from a drawing but I would put certain things I was fairly sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/but-when-i-worked-on-a-painting-i-would-do-it-from-a-drawing-but-i/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [When I started to do these Pop paintings seriously, I used all these other paintings - the abstract ones - as mats. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/when-i-started-to-do-these-pop-paintings-seriously-i-used-all-these/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [Im not really sure what social message my art carries, if any. And I dont really want it to carry one. Im not interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/im-not-really-sure-what-social-message-my-art-carries-if-any-and-i/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [I'm not really sure what social message my art carries, if any. And I don't really want it to carry one. I'm not interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/i-m-not-really-sure-what-social-message-my-art-carries-if-any-and-i/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [My direction is very anti-contemplative. If you thought I was for commercial products, you'd think there was no irony. The irony isn't meant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/my-direction-is-very-anti-contemplative-if-you-thought-i-was-for/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [What interests me is to paint the kind of antisensitivity that impregnates modern civilization. I think art since Cezanne has become extremely romantic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/what-interests-me-is-to-paint-the-kind-of-antisensitivity-that/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [I think that most people think painters are kind of ridiculous, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/i-think-that-most-people-think-painters-are-kind-of-ridiculous-you/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [Everybody has called Pop Art 'American' painting, but it's actually industrial painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/everybody-has-called-pop-art-american-painting-but-it-s-actually/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [Actually, I love the Abstract Expressionists - or I like the ones I like, anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/actually-i-love-the-abstract-expressionists-or-i-like-the-ones-i-like/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) [Explore all 77 Roy Lichtenstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) ## More Like quotes > [Do I look like a fool to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/do-i-look-like-a-fool-to-you/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [I'm a workaholic, but I also like to vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrueche-tran/i-m-a-workaholic-but-i-also-like-to-vacation/) [Karrueche Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrueche-tran/) > [People like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding - I do not put myself in that category.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-capaldi/people-like-sam-cooke-and-otis-redding-i-do-not-put-myself-in-that/) [Lewis Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-capaldi/) > [I like the Patagonia in Argentina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-gasol/i-like-the-patagonia-in-argentina/) [Marc Gasol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-gasol/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. 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