The line "A long way from Lichtenstein" refers to (I think) the pop artist Roy Lichtenstein
{Whose art was usually enlarged acrylic-on-canvas copies of romance and war comic book panels or pages}
I think he uses Lichetenstein as a metaphor for the city, fame, and the rewards of the artists' fame and glory
And contrasts that to his new position with the gators & flamingos...
The line "A long way from Lichtenstein" refers to (I think) the pop artist Roy Lichtenstein {Whose art was usually enlarged acrylic-on-canvas copies of romance and war comic book panels or pages} I think he uses Lichetenstein as a metaphor for the city, fame, and the rewards of the artists' fame and glory And contrasts that to his new position with the gators & flamingos...