Enjoy a contemporary display of sculptural American popular art amid lush plants at Farichild Tropical Botanic Garden.
What is Pop Art?
Pop art, which is shorthand for popular art, is characterized by themes and images taken from popular mass culture. Everyday objects such as cartoons, flowers, road signs or even cans of soup were the inspiration for pop artists. Pop artists worked in a variety of mediums including paintings, sculptures and collages.
About the Artist
Although Lichtenstein is known primarily for his pop art paintings, he actually started making sculptural pieces in the 1960’s. There are currently ten of Lichtenstein’s sculptures on display throughout the grounds of Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Coral Gables, Florida. This exhibit will be on display from December 8th, 2007 through May 31st, 2008.
Roy Lichtenstein was born on October 27th, 1923 in Manhattan, NY and passed away on September 29th, 1997. Lichtenstein was one of the foremost artists of the American Pop Art movement. Other artists that were part of this movement included Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Indiana and Wayne Thiebaud.
Works of Art
Lichtenstein’s sculptures are displayed in two main areas of Fairchild Tropical Garden. Four of them, Three Brushstrokes, Brushstroke Nude, Brushstrokes and Coup de Chapeau II, are displayed near the Visitor Center by the front of the property. Five of them, Lamp, House II, Galatea, Airplane and Endless Drip, are displayed around the Gallery and Cycad Circle due south of the Visitor Center. The tenth piece, Modern Head which measures 31 feet high, is placed along the edge of the Allee and Overlook area.
Although you can take a tram tour to see the entire gardens, you will actually see a lot more if you take a self-guided walking tour of the property. A detailed map of the property can be obtained from the Visitors Center after you purchase your admission tickets. The sculptures need to be examined up close to appreciate their true beauty and design details. The sculptures are made from a variety of paint embellished materials including fiberglass, aluminum, steel and bronze.
The Gallery at Fairchild
Don’t go by the Gallery without stopping by for a visit. A few of Lichtenstein’s lithographs are on display and available for purchase. There is also a small selection of Dale Chihuly prints and blown glass pieces on display in the gallery.
Evening Illumination
Every Thursday evening, from 6 PM to 9 PM, Fairchild has extended hours for the public to enjoy Lichtenstien’s sculpture installation. This event, called Poppin’ Tropical Nights, also features the blown glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly. The sculptures take on an entirely different look as they are dramatically lit beneath the nighttime sky.
Getting There
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156
Additional Information
The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation website is located at: http://www.lichtensteinfoundation.org/. The Lichtenstein Foundation, which was founded in 1999, is responsible for the ongoing exhibitions of Roy’s work along with researching and documenting the artists creative legacy.
A three-minute video of the Fairchild Lichtenstein exhibit can be viewed online.
See the article, Dale Chihuly at Fairchild Tropical Garden, for additional information on the blown glass sculptures currently on display.
