The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

A lead plate leaning against the wall and supporting a tightly rolled, lead tube. The upper fourth section bends out from the wall at a 45-degree angle, supporting the tube, which extends slightly beyond the edges of the plate on either side. Scratches consistently mark the matte black surface of the sculpture. The plate appears slightly lighter where it catches the light on the largest section of the plate, tilting out from the wall.

Plate Roll Prop

1969

Richard Serra

(American, 1938–2024)
America
lead
Roll: 147.3 x 9 cm (58 x 3 9/16 in.); Flat plate: 116.8 x 121.9 x 1.9 cm (46 x 48 x 3/4 in.)
Seventy-fifth anniversary gift of Agnes Gund 1991.214
© Richard Serra / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

By rolling, bending, and flattening, Serra is interested in exploring the physical properties of mass, weight, and volume, and converts industrial materials into sculpture.

Description

A lead plate, bent at a 45-degree angle, leans against the wall and supports the weight of a tightly rolled tube. Serra preferred lead for its suggestion of heavy industry, its softness, and its lack of sheen. The downward pull of gravity and the simple logic of the engineering keep the metal in place and emphasize the weight and density of Serra’s chosen material. Seventy-fifth anniversary gift of Agnes Gund 1991.214
  • 1969-?
    Collection of the artist
    1978
    (Blum Helman Gallery, New York, NY, 1978)
    ?–1991
    Agnes Gund, New York, NY, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1991–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • null
    Krauss, Rosalind E., Richard Serra, Laura Rosenstock, and Douglas Crimp. Richard Serra: Sculpture. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1986. Reproduced: p. 71 ingallslibrary.on.worldcat.org
    Turner, Evan H. “The Year in Review for 1992.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 80, no. 2 (February 1993): 38–79. Reproduced: p. 51; mentioned: p. 67, no. 59. www.jstor.org
  • Signs of Affection: Gifts Honoring the Museum's 75th Anniversary. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 27, 1992-January 3, 1993).
    Group Show: Richard Serra, Joel Shapiro, Neil Jenny and Bruce Nauman. Blum Helman Gallery, New York, NY, 1978.
    Nine Young Artists: Theodoron Awards. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, 1969.
  • {{cite web|title=Plate Roll Prop|url=false|author=Richard Serra|year=1969|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1991.214