Exhibition dates: May 1 – November 2, 2003 (weather permitting)
Exhibition location: The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden
Press preview: Wednesday, April 30, 10:00 a.m. - noon
Six sculptures by the celebrated American artist Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) will go on view in The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden of The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1. Selected from the collections of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation and the estate of the artist, Roy Lichtenstein on the Roof will highlight brightly painted or patinated bronze and fabricated aluminum sculptures. Created in the 1990s, each work makes witty reference to Lichtenstein's own painting or to the work of such modernist artists as Picasso and Brancusi. The works will be exhibited in the 10,000-square-foot open-air space that offers spectacular views of Central Park and the New York City skyline. The installation will mark the sixth single-artist installation on the Cantor Roof Garden.
On view will be: the 29 ½-foot-tall Brushstrokes, 1996; the 17 ½-foot-wide House III, 1996 (fabricated 2002); and four vertical, quasi-figurative works ranging in height from 7 ½ to 12 feet: Galatea, 1990; Brushstroke Nude, 1993; Endless Drip, 1995; and Coup de Chapeau, 1996.
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The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden opened to the public in 1987. Annual installations have featured selections of modern sculpture from the Metropolitan Museum's collection and, most recently, presentations of works by the artists Ellsworth Kelly (1998), Magdalena Abakanowicz (1999), David Smith (2000), Joel Shapiro (2001), and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen (2002).
The Cantor Roof Garden is open to the public from May through late fall, as weather permits. Sandwiches and beverage service – including espresso, cappuccino, iced tea, soft drinks, wine, and beer – are available at the Roof Garden daily from 10:00 a.m. until closing.
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