NEW HAVEN, CONN.- The Yale University Art Gallery announced today that it has received a generous grant as part of the Bank of America Art Conservation Project to support the restoration of Claes Oldenburg’s iconic sculpture Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks.

Oldenburg (1929–2022, B.A. 1950) figures among the most consequential artists of the twentieth century. In the years following his undergraduate study in literature and art history at Yale, he became active in the Pop movement, taking everyday objects as his subjects to call attention to the rise of consumerism in American culture. Among his innovations was removing these objects from their usual contexts and enlarging them to a surprising size; often these sculptures were fabricated using soft materials such as canvas, burlap, or vinyl.

In 1969 Oldenburg realized his first sculpture on a monumental scale—Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks. Originally standing 24 feet high (and later reduced to 22 feet), the sculpture features a tube of lipstick emerging from a base with tractor treads. It was commissioned by a group of Yale students and faculty members called the Colossal Keepsake Corporation and made in collaboration with the fabricators Lippincott, Inc. of North Haven, Connecticut. The sculpture was prominently installed in Yale’s Beinecke Plaza as a surprise “gift” to the University. It immediately became a site for community engagement.

Lipstick was not meant to be permanent. It was originally constructed of wooden and vinyl elements that quickly degraded, and its surface was soon covered in graffiti and posters. Oldenburg removed the sculpture in 1970 and worked with Lippincott to refabricate it in the more durable materials of aluminum, fiberglass, and steel. In 1974 Lipstick was donated to the Gallery and loaned to Yale’s Morse College, where it has remained on view in the residential college’s courtyard.

Because of continual exposure to the environment, the historically significant artwork is once again in need of restoration. The current conservation plan, funded by a Bank of America Art Conservation Project grant, requires deinstalling the sculpture and moving its parts offsite for treatment. The aluminum and fiberglass lipstick tube will be stripped of faded paint, and degraded coatings will be repainted to match the original colors. The painted steel base and Corten steel tracks will also be treated. After conservation, the sculpture will return to Yale’s campus, with the Gallery ensuring its long-term preservation and accessibility to the Yale community and beyond.

Bank of America has supported projects across the university as part of its commitment to building thriving communities. “Providing support to institutions like the Yale University Art Gallery, which contribute vital services and programs to the city of New Haven, is a fundamental aspect of our mission to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve,” said Bill Tommins, president, Bank of America Southern Connecticut.

“We are deeply grateful to Bank of America for their support. This grant will enable us to restore Claes Oldenburg’s Lipstick to its former brilliance and ensure its preservation on Yale’s campus,” said Stephanie Wiles, the Henry J. Heinz II Director of the Yale University Art Gallery.