Early in the Morning (Primary Title)
James Rosenquist, American, 1933-2017 (Artist)
I don’t think of my work ever as a complete thing. I think of it as a tool to get someone off into their own vision. —James Rosenquist
Rosenquist’s early experience as a billboard painter in Times Square shaped his approach to art. In his paintings, Rosenquist adopts ready-made images from magazines, packaging, ads, movies, and television. He fragments, enlarges, and rearranges them in unexpected, and unexpectedly thought-provoking, combinations. Each element of this composition—cloudy sky, sliced orange, pocket comb, and striding legs—evokes innumerable associations, yet the painting’s meaning remains elusive. Like a dream or a memory, Rosenquist’s work challenges us to leave logic behind and enter an odd and hallucinatory world.
James Rosenquist: Gëmalde, Räume, Graphik, Wallraf-Richartz-Museums, Cologne, Germany, January 29 – March 12, 1972; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Painting and Sculpture: 1940-1970, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, 1969
James Rosenquist, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, January - March 1968
Pittsburgh International Exhibition of Contemporary Painting and Sculpture, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, October 1964 – January 1965
James Rosenquist Exhibition, Green Gallery, New York, NY, 1964
[1] Lot #34, sale #3558, October 18, 1973. See auction catalogue, A Selection of Fifty Works from the Collection of Robert C. Scull (New York: Sotheby Parke Bernet, 1973).
James Rosenquist @ VMFA
1:54Hear and see what major artists have to say about their works and concepts in their own words. These concise videos–2 to 3 minutes–are historic interviews recorded one-on-one by VMFA in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
