A lunch break is often enough time to visit a wonderful place. This time is was the Met and it was the Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen on the Roof exhibition. It might be a bit difficult to find the roof at first. One has to go through the Medieval exhibitions and through the magically fragrant sculpture court, and then take the elevator. An elevator operator might tell a little story and the journey ends on the 5th floor of the Museum, the roof garden, one of the most spectacular museum spaces in New York. The roof offers views of the park and of midtown and is a pretty serene place for a lunch break. The Oldenburg and van Bruggen sculptures add a happy and humorous factor to the space. There are four sculptures on view, the Architect’s Handkerchief, 1999 (Fiber-reinforced plastic painted with polyester gelcoat, edition 1/3; 12 ft. 5 in. x 12 ft. 3 in. x 7 ft. 5 in. (378.5 x 373.4 x 226.1 cm)), a large safety-pin, called Corridor Pin, Blue, 1999 (Stainless steel and aluminum painted with polyurethane enamel, edition 3/3; 21 ft. 3 in. x 21 ft. 2 in. x 1 ft. 4 in. (647.7 x 645.2 x 40.6 cm)), Two smaller Shuttlecock/Blueberry Pies I and II, 1999f Cast aluminum painted with acrylic urethane; Each 48 x 24 x 24 in. (121.9 x 61 x 61 cm) and the very impressive Plantoir, 2001 Stainless steel, aluminum, fiber-reinforced plastic, painted with polyurethane enamel, edition 3/3; 23 ft. 11 in. x 4 ft. 5 in. x 4 ft. 9 in. (723.9 x 134.6 x 144.8 cm), placed in its own piece of portable lawn.
The trip was a very short one, the impressions brief and happy. It took just minutes to get there and minutes to get back. I have the feeling I will return to the place several times, before it closes later in the fall.