painted fiberglass, bronze, and
aluminum sculptures

November 18, 2003 - October 2004

To view, please call 311 to schedule a tour
of City Hall and City Hall Academy

Best known as a painter, Roy Lichtenstein was also a prolific sculptor. He began making sculptural works in the early 1960's, just after his first exhibition of paintings at Leo Castelli Gallery. His earliest sculptures were renderings of utilitarian objects and mannequin style heads, both directly influenced by the representation of commercial techniques in his painting. As his career progressed, Lichtenstein's sculpture evolved with his painting. In the 1980's this convergence of media culminated in his monumental brushstroke sculptures. Evoking the movement and color of paint on canvas, these totem-like works suspend the artist's sweeping brushstrokes in midair.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is Element #E from the artist's Five Brushstrokes (1983-1984), shown for the first time in its full-size version. More than 50 feet tall, this sculpture of four colorful brushstrokes was fabricated by the Estate of Roy Lichtenstein for this special loan to the City Hall Academy. Lichtenstein's Brushstroke Group (1986) and Endless Drip (1995), shown in City Hall Park, display his signature colors and mirror-smooth finish. His bronze bust, Woman: Sunlight, Moonlight, shown in the lobby of City Hall, is uniquely two-sided: one side shows the darkened, moonlit face of a woman; the other, her face basked in sunlight. Central to the work is the figure's long, flowing hair, which, like the brushstroke, is a common Lichtenstein motif.

Artist Bio
Born in 1923 in New York City, Roy Lichtenstein had his first solo exhibition in the city in 1951. By 1962 Lichtenstein was showing at the prestigious Leo Castelli Gallery, where he exhibited his signature comic strip paintings. These works were soon recognized as the beginning of Pop painting and propelled Lichtenstein to the high level of popular and critical success he enjoyed for the rest of his career. Working until the time of his death in 1997, Lichtenstein created a unique and broad range of painting and sculpture that continues to have a profound effect on the artists of today.

Sponsorship
This exhibition is made possible by the Estate of Roy Lichtenstein and Forest City Ratner Companies. Special thanks to Dorothy Lichtenstein, Bruce Ratner, Stephen Mazoh, and Lucy Mitchell-Innes.
 
This presentation of Roy Lichtenstein at City Hall is made possible through the cooperation of the City of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor; Department of Parks & Recreation, Adrian Benepe, Commissioner; Department of Education, Joel I. Klein, Chancellor; and City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs, Kate D. Levin, Commissioner.

Location
City Hall Park is bordered by Chambers Street, Broadway, Centre Street and Park Row. The City Hall Academy at the Department of Education (52 Chambers Street) and City Hall are generally closed to the public; for information about free guided art and architectural tours of both buildings, please call 311 for more information.

The nearest subway stations are A, C, E to Chambers Street; 4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge - City Hall; N, R to City Hall; 2, 3 to Park Place.