1. PRESS RELEASE
“Brushstrokes in flight” installed in Ponce
Ponce Art Museum home to monumental pop art sculpture by Roy Lichtenstein
San Juan (October 14, 2010) — Since last weekend, people who travels along
Las Américas Avenue in Ponce, and that visits the museum when it reopens in
November, will be able to enjoy a 25 feet-high, colorful and monumental artwork
by Roy Lichtenstein, one of the most important artists of the 20th century.
The piece, titled “Brushstrokes in flight,” was donated to the Ponce Art Museum
by the Lichtenstein Foundation, with the support of the artist’s widow, Dorothy
Lichtenstein.
With this spectacular acquisition and the return of its collection, the museum
will celebrate its reopening in November after undergoing a $30 million
renovation and expansion project.
“Brushstrokes in flight,” placed in front of the museum, is made of painted
aluminum and was created in New England following the specifications of
Lichtenstein. One of his assistants was in charge of supervising the production of
the piece.
The Ponce Art Museum will be one among the only 11 museums from around the
world that will showcase a work of art by Lichtenstein in its collection.
“Brushstrokes in flight” will be Lichtenstein’s biggest public artwork on view
throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s expected the impressive
sculpture draws the attention of the press and a significant number of visitors to
the museum. “Brushstrokes in flight” is the first monumental artwork donated by
the artist’s foundation to a museum.
“This happy union between paint and sculpture that seems to catch flight is an
homage to a creative act,” said Agustín Arteaga, the museum’s director.
Cheryl Hartup, chief curator of the museum, explained that “Brushstrokes in
flight” would clearly convey to the public the message that some of the world’s
most widely renowned paintings are housed at the Ponce Art Museum. This
piece will become a new contemporary icon for Ponce and constitute an historic
contribution to the public space in Puerto Rico. Its brilliant primary colors,

2. vertical movement and seamless flow provide a gaudy counterpoint to the solid
building, monochromatic and horizontal, designed by the architect Edward
Durell Stone.
Arteaga highlighted that, following a year of hard work, the museum managed to
wrap up an exciting process with the installation of “Brushstrokes in flight.”
“Undoubtedly, this creation is already an iconic piece in our museum’s collection,
recapitulating among the tradition of the great paintings found in our exhibition
halls and the promising future for which we’re all working for,” added Arteaga.
Lichtenstein’s biographical data
Born in New York in 1923, Lichtenstein held his first solo exhibit in The Big
Apple in 1951. By 1962, the artist had his work on display in the prestigious Leo
Castelli Gallery, where he showcased his comic art pieces that would eventually
mark his career.
Lichtenstein’s early works were soon recognized as the beginning of “pop art”
and propelled him to new artistic heights, gaining critical and popular acclaim
for the rest of his life until 1997 when he passed away.
In all, Lichtenstein created a unique and extensive spectrum of paintings and
sculptures that until today continue to have a great impact on the works of
countless contemporary artists.
Lichtenstein and sculpture
Lichtenstein began crafting sculptures in the early ‘60s, right after holding his
first solo paintings exhibit at the Leo Castelli Gallery. His first sculptures were
representations of utilitarian objects and mannequin heads, both directly
influenced by the representation of commercial techniques in his paintings.
As his career progressed, Lichtenstein’s sculptures evolved with his paintings.
In the ‘80s, this convergence of mixed art forms resulted in his monumental
brushstrokes sculptures. Evoking the movement and color of a painting in the
canvas, these works — similar to a totem pole — hold on the extensive
brushstrokes of the artist in the air.

3. “Brushstrokes in flight” is a reinvention of the bi-dimensional brushstroke to a
tri-dimensional sculpture. Lichtenstein’s work brilliantly represents the
conceptual transformation of art, from a physical world to an idea.
The Ponce Art Museum, with over 50 years since its inception, features a collection
of over 4,500 artworks from Latin America, Puerto Rico and Europe. Its significant
catalog of European pieces from the Middle Ages to today, as well as its
contemporary art exhibitions program, make it one of the island’s premiere
cultural institutions and a world renowned museum.
The Ponce Art Museum is the only museum in Puerto Rico to be accredited by the
American Association of Museums, which for 40 years has promoted best practices,
institutional ethics, and the highest standards of museum operations in the United
States. Of the more than 20,000 museums in the United States, only 774 are
members, and the Ponce Art Museum is one of them.
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Photo caption: “Brushstrokes in flight”
Credit: John Betancourt
Contacto: Natalia Álvarez
nalvarez@museoarteponce.org
Tel: 787.641.3129
Lissette González, APR
lissie@qvalitas.net
Tel. 787•949-1208