Still lifes are, perhaps, not the first things that come to mind when hearing the name Roy Lichtenstein, but after viewing last Saturday’s opening at Gagosian gallery, there’s no question that the pop artist could paint fruit bowls and vases with the best of them. The first exhibition ever to be fully dedicated to Lichtenstein’s still lifes, the show features an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures the artist created between 1972 and the early ‘80’s, each of which maintain his signature cartoon aesthetic.

“When we think of still lifes, we think of paintings that have a certain atmosphere or ambience. My still life paintings have none of those qualities, they just have pictures of certain things that are in a still life, like lemons and grapefruits and so forth. It’s not meant to have the usual still life meaning,” read a quote from the artist in Gagosian’s description of the show. And there could not be a more accurate analysis of the works.

Such scenes as Lichtenstein’s own cluttered painting studio, a decorative silver pitcher next to a bundle of grapes and a wine glass tipped on its side behind a partially peeled lemon were pained with thick black lines, comic book Benday dots and pop-y yellow, red, green and blue accents. Sculptures of a steaming coffee cup, a water pitcher atop a table and a yellow apple were created in the same style, but were cleverly constructed to appear as if they had only one dimension rather than three.

A series of fractured images, including a yellow alarm clock with red roses and a mug next to a piece of cherry pie, were seemingly Art Deco in aesthetic, with their bold lines and strong mix of geometric shapes, and a cluster of works tucked away in the almost hidden front gallery featured fruits and indecipherable lines painted in a surprisingly soft, impressionist style.

Most interesting, however, were a selection of sketches and painted mock-ups that gave us a peek into the artist’s process. Cross-hatching appeared on a handful of miniature paintings that artist used to play with depth. Dimensions were noted in the artist’s own handwriting on sketches of the earlier mentioned sculptures and color studies and other experiments on paper were, dare I say, exhilarating to examine.

The show provided a fascinating look at a lesser-known side of the iconic pop artist and proved that, at least through Lichtenstein’s lens, the age-old still life can be a great deal of fun.

Roy Lichtenstein’s Still Lifes will be on view at Gagosian, 555 West 24^th Street, NY, NY through July 30th