Floor 4: Roy Lichtenstein & Sigmar Polke: Northwest entrance from Guston

Visual Description

A large oil-on-canvas painting (5.75 × 4.75 ft) presents a comic-book close-up of a soldier aiming a gun, rendered in fields of color and thick black outlines. The soldier’s face fills the center, colored a poster-like yellow with sharp black contour lines defining the eyes, nose, and a partially open mouth. A netted helmet sits low on the forehead; the net pattern is drawn as a black grid over yellow, and a chin strap hangs to the right in a loose loop. Dense black hair or shadows fills the left side of the head and shoulder area, forming a silhouette that contrasts with the pale gray background on the left and a pink halftone-dot field on the right. From the bottom center toward the right, the soldier grips and aims a rifle; the hand is simplified into outlined yellow forms, and the gun’s barrel and ribbed section extend horizontally toward the right edge. Comic sound-effect text appears in the upper left: “TZING!” in red, blocky letters with an exclamation point, set within a sharp, white diagonal burst shape; below it, “BWEEE!” appears in looser, black, hand-drawn lettering. A thin black border frames the composition~~.~~

Visual Description

A slender, vertical painted and bronze sculpture (about 7.5 ft tall, 2.5 ft wide, and 2 in deep) depicts a stylized, comic-book style vertical yellow curve shooting upward into a layered, folded form. The vertical curve rises from a flat, rectangular black base and thick black outlines define bold, simplified shapes filled with bright color. Near the bottom, a rounded white cloud grips the base. The vertical curve itself is predominantly yellow with a central stripe that alternates blue and white, running up the length. At about mid-height, a jagged, black spiky burst surrounds a red, irregular shape. The vertical curve continues upward, narrowing slightly before ending in a compact folded and layered form at the top, its shape indicated by black contour lines.

Visual Description

Spanning about 9 × 14 ft, this magna and oil painting on canvas presents a wide, comic-strip-like pop-art scene built from thick black contours, flat primary colors, and halftone dot patterns. The composition is divided into interlocking zones: at the far left, a tall vertical section of black-and-white woodgrain lines rises up, topped by a rounded white cloud shape outlined in black; beneath it sit angular, blocky structures in gray, olive green, black, and deep blue, their faces shaded with diagonal hatch marks.

Across the middle-left, a pale sky meets a dark, saturated blue band. Above this band floats a small geometric emblem: a half-sun with yellow rays around a red semicircle, set above a black inverted triangle. Cutting upward through the center is a slender black line supporting sharp triangular flags and angled forms in yellow, white, navy blue, and forest green.

On the right half, a simplified, pale-skinned man with neatly combed dark hair and black brows faces forward; he wears a white shirt, a red tie, and a light jacket, rendered with clean outlines and minimal shading. In front of him and across the lower right stretches **a nude, reclining figure drawn with smooth, continuous black lines; the body is filled with off-white and punctuated by dense red halftone dots that pool in large areas.**Near the center-right, a prominent oval shape—white with blue halftone dots along its edge. Above and around these figures, additional graphic elements appear: three red halftone circles float near the top center, adjacent to a form outlined in black; at the far right, a bold yellow vertical panel frames curving, ribbon-like yellow shapes and a red halftone area. Fields of diagonal hatching, woodgrain stripes, and solid color blocks alternate throughout the composition.

Visual Description

An oil-on-canvas painting about 5 ft × 4 ft depicts a close-up view of a single car tire rendered in crisp, high-contrast black andoff-white. The tire dominates the composition, angled so the circular wheel face sits to the left while the thick treaded side curves toward the right**.** On the left, the rim and hub are stylized with concentric rings and simplified mechanical detailing, including a central cap-like form and dark, curved shadows. The tire’s rubber sidewall is a deep, nearly solid black band, while the tread to the right is articulated with repeating chevron and zigzag blocks, outlined in black with pale interiors, forming a dense geometric pattern that wraps around the curvature. The background is a flat, light gray-beige field, framed by a thin brown border line close to the canvas edge, emphasizing the graphic, poster-like clarity of the image.

Visual Description

A roughly 18 × 20 inch oil-on-canvas work with aluminum and leather elements is shaped and painted to resemble a vintage portable AM/FM radio, with a thin leather strap arcing from the top left corner to the top right. The radio body is rendered in a warm beige with graphic black outlines that define a rectangular casing and its controls. Across the top runs a banded tuner panel: on the upper scale, the printed FM numbers read “88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108,” and below it the AM scale reads “55 60 0 90 110 140 160,” with small triangular marks indicating tuning points. To the upper left sits a circular knob marked by diagonal black stripes, and beside it the labels “FM” and “AM” appear stacked vertically, each preceded by a dot. The left two-thirds of the radio face is a speaker grille represented by a dense field of evenly spaced black dots framed by a bold border. On the right, a clean panel contains the handwritten-style text “AmFm,” and along the far right edge a narrow vertical rectangle suggests a slider or level indicator, filled with short horizontal ticks. A thick black bar extends from the speaker area into the right panel, like a stylized tuning pointer.

Visual Description

Spanning about 12 × 13 ft, this oil-and-resin-on-fabric artwork presents a theatrical, sepia-and-amber interior rendered in crisp black linework and pale washes. At the far left, a heavy curtain with dense crosshatching, fringed edges, and a dangling tassel frames the scene as if pulled back to reveal a room with paneled walls and sharp, receding perspective lines.

To the right stands a robed, elderly-looking male figure drawn in dark ink: he has a very long, full beard, thick eyebrows, and a rounded, fur-like cap or curly headdress. His clothing is heavily patterned with vertical and crosshatched marks; the robe falls to the floor and pools slightly at his feet. His right arm stretches diagonally upward and leftward, holding a thin wand or rod aimed toward the center-left of the composition. His left arm extends outward and down, holding a small censer or incense burner by a chain; stylized gray-blue curls of smoke billow from it in looping spirals.

Near the middle-left stands a translucent, ghostlike figure sketched in very light bluish lines with a hooded cloak and raised hands. The figure’s body is faint and partially blends into the warm background. A circular rug or boundary outline on the floor is indicated by concentric rings and encircles them. Between them and inside this space sits a small round tray holding two tall, lit candles with visible flames, a small skull, and a rectangular book. A small pitcher rests on the floor just outside the tray, slightly right of center.

The back wall is organized into large rectangular panels, including a central warm-orange rectangle. A thin horizontal band runs across the middle of the image, and the overall surface has mottled discolorations.

Visual Description

A paint-on-linen work (41 × 27 inches) uses a comic-print halftone field of black dots to build a grainy, high-contrast close-up of a human figure. On the left half, the figure in partial profile emerges from dotted tones. A triangular highlight defines the figure's forehead and brow ridge, a dark eye socket and nose bridge cut through the yellowed flesh tones, and a shadowy jawline and neck descend into near-black. In the upper left area, there is the front of a small house with two windows as well as a roof with a small chimney. A deep green swath arcs diagonally across the upper center, separating the face from the right side, where a fountain rises, topped by a narrow vertical white column that resembles a stem or elongated highlight. Across the right and lower areas, the fountain is mottled with sparse yellow-green patches and darker speckling where the dot pattern thickens. The palette is dominated by black dots over creamy whites and warm yellows, with saturated dark green areas and small bursts of red and orange near the top edge.

Visual Description

An acrylic-on-paper work (about 3.3 × 2.3 ft) combines splattered abstraction with bold black line drawing to depict a scene with a tall central figure. The figure, drawn in thick black outlines, strides diagonally across the lower half of the composition with long, pale legs and pointed shoes; their upper body is simplified into rounded shapes and a cinched waist, and their face has exaggerated red lips, a small nose, and teal-blue circular marks on the cheeks. A closed book—suggested by parallel page lines—rests on top of their head, held in place by an upraised arm; the hair is rendered as a series of curved, striped bands that sweep to the right.

Behind and around the figure, the background is a field of marks. A dominant wash of warm yellow occupies much of the upper half and is punctuated by scattered purple blotches, black smears, and drips. Teal and green areas pool in the lower left, forming a shadowy mass where a dark, crouched or seated shape with a~~ ~~face emerges in black and white. Near the lower center-left, a pale, round head-like form appears amid layered strokes. Along the bottom, quick white wavy lines suggest water, and a small, simplified pale-blue running figure moves leftward beneath the striding legs.

To the right of the central figure, a large circular outline resembles a wheel or ring, intersected by several thin, vertical black lines like posts or reeds, with splatters and gestural marks clustering around them. The lower right corner shows angular, blocky blue shapes resembling letterforms or signage fragments laid over a red-and-gray grid of strokes.

Visual Description

A small watercolor on paper (12 x 8 in), presents an abstract composition in soft blues, warm oranges, and vivid reds, organized around a central, birdlike silhouette. Near the center-right rises a dark blue-gray form resembling a crane or heron: a rounded body tapering to two thin legs, with a long neck and small head angled upward. A thick red ribbon curves down from the upper right, brushing the bird’s neck area and continuing as a vertical red waver near the lower center. Across the lower third, broad orange and ochre strokes spread horizontally like rippling reflections on water, interspersed with pale blue ovals and short marks. The background is washed in light blue-gray with scattered darker blue dabs, creating a misty field behind the main figure. Several circular motifs punctuate the upper half: blue disks encircled by yellow and orange rings, including a large one near the top center-right with dark crossed lines inside, and smaller ringed circles to the left. On the far left stands a tall, pale vertical column edged in red-orange, with a gray spiral coil drawn near its top and two pinkish crosshatched panels below. Thin blue and graphite-like lines loop and scribble throughout. In the bottom-right corner, the signature reads: “S. Polke 68”.

Visual Description

A 11.8 × 8.5 in watercolor on paper presents a pale face outlined in fluid gray washes beside a large, bright yellow form bordered in smoky gray. To the left, a head fills most of the height: a rounded cheek and jaw are drawn with gray contour lines; the eye is formed by a dark, crescent-like lid and brow, and the mouth is a small dark mark near the lower center of the face. A black-gray patch at the upper left of the head forms hair, painted with blotchy, saturated strokes. The figure’s clothing is indicated at the bottom with sketchy, intersecting gray lines forming crosshatch and plaid-like patterns. To the right of the face, the yellow shape bulges~~ ~~out and is dotted with small ochre-brown spots; it is encircled by a thick gray outline that varies in opacity. Above, two long, dark lines arc across the upper right, while at the upper left several angled tan-brown strokes stack on top of each other. Near the lower right, there is a curved maroon brushstroke and a separate yellow crescent. The paper shows watery blooms and stains in beige and gray. In the lower right corner, handwritten text reads “Polke 66”.