1988
Although he insisted that he and his fellow Pop artists developed their art-making styles independently, American painter James Rosenquist belonged at the table with Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.
Known for his distinctive use of visual montage, Rosenquist produced large, vibrantly colored tableaux marked by fragmentation and overlap. He often employed familiar motifs and objects drawn from popular contemporary culture — hot dogs, lipstick tubes, American flags — which he manipulated to form disorienting compositions whose constituent elements are nearly unrecognizable.
Born in North Dakota to Swedish parents, Rosenquist was encouraged to pursue painting by his mother, who was also an artist. He studied painting for two years at the University of Minnesota, but dropped out at the age of 21 to attend the Art Students League in New York on a scholarship. A job as a billboard painter in the late 1950s set him up to pursue his signature style, which borrowed its bold graphics and remixed kitschy aesthetic from the visual vocabulary of advertising. Works like Flamingo Capsule (1983) embody his trademark visual dissonance, drawing cigarette-ad motifs into conversation with stripes from the American flag and aluminum foil wrappers.
In addition to enormous paintings, Rosenquist created drawings, prints and collages. The 2011 lithograph The Memory Continues but the Clock Disappears is a montage of melting clocks and confetti, all submerged in a pool of water. While wryly hinting at the inevitability of decay and deterioration — suggesting that life is a ticking clock — the composition also alludes to Salvador Dalí's signature motif, the defining symbol of Surrealism. Such compositions demonstrate how Rosenquist masterfully combined seemingly incongruous elements into a harmonious and poetic whole.
Find James Rosenquist art today on 1stDibs.
James Rosenquist - Art Gallery, ex-Nina Castelli & Ileana Sonnabend Signed/N
By James Rosenquist
Located in New York, NY
James Rosenquist Art Gallery, from the Estate of Nina Castelli and the Collection of Ileana Sonnabend (Glenn, 41), 1971 Color lithograph on Rives BFK paper 30 × 22 1/2 inches Edition...
Lithograph
Nails, from Monochromes at the New Gallery, historic Pop Art lithograph Signed/N
By James Rosenquist
Located in New York, NY
James Rosenquist Nails, from Monochromes at the New Gallery, 1975 Limited edition lithograph and offset lithograph (pencil signed and numbered) Signed and numbered 10/100 in graphite...
Lithograph, Offset
James Rosenquist - Fahrenheit 1982 (hand signed card, from UACC president Platt)
By James Rosenquist
Located in New York, NY
This offset lithograph card is boldly signed in black marker on the image part of the card by James Rosenquist. It depicts Rosenquist's opus magnus "Fahrenheit 1982", his 1982 colore...
Lithograph, Offset
James Rosenquist at the Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, Lt. Ed. poster
By James Rosenquist
Located in New York, NY
James Rosenquist Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art 1968-1983 Offset Lithograph Poster on White Wove Paper Plate (printed) signature Limited Edition of 500 (unnumbered) Unframed A...
Lithograph, Offset
Art Card: "Joan Crawford Says", 1964 postcard (hand signed by James Rosenquist)
By James Rosenquist
Located in New York, NY
James Rosenquist Art Card: "Joan Crawford Says", 1964 (hand signed by James Rosenquist), ca. 1980 Offset lithograph postcard (Hand Signed by James Rosenquist) Boldly signed by James ...
Postcard
Tom Wesselmann - Deluxe Hand Signed Edition of 100, 1 Cent Life, Pop Art Framed
By Tom Wesselmann
Located in New York, NY
Scarce Collectible - one of only 100 hand signed lithographs from the Deluxe Edition of the 1 Cent Life Portfolio, acquired from the Estate of Robert Indiana: Tom Wesselmann Deluxe ...
Lithograph
1982 After James Rosenquist 'While the Earth Revolved at Night' Pop Art Vintage
By James Rosenquist
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is an original 1982 exhibition poster by celebrated American Pop artist James Rosenquist, titled While the Earth Revolved at Night. Created to promote Rosenquist’s solo show at ...
Offset
James Rosenquist 'Space Dust' 1990- Signed Pop Art Vintage
By James Rosenquist
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Original poster advertising the "Welcome to the Water Planet" exhibit, showcased at the prestigious Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1990. This iconic piece was meticulously print...
Offset
Original 1989 exhibition poster by James Rosenquist - Paintings
By James Rosenquist
Located in PARIS, FR
This vibrant original 1989 exhibition poster was created by the iconic American Pop artist James Rosenquist to promote his show “Paintings” at Richard L. Feigen & Co., London. Held from June 27 to July 28, the exhibition presented a dynamic selection of Rosenquist's large-scale, visually arresting works that bridged the gap between fine art and commercial imagery. True to Rosenquist’s signature style, the poster is a dazzling collage of color, form, and abstraction. A lush explosion of oversized, hyperreal flowers...
Paper, Lithograph
James Rosenquist 'Four New Clear Women' 1983- Signed Pop Art
By James Rosenquist
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This striking original exhibition poster by James Rosenquist, titled Four New Clear Women, was created for his solo opening at the Leo Castelli Gallery on October 1st, 1983. A bold v...
Offset
Large American Pop Art Color Abstract Lithograph James Rosenquist Glass Wishes
By James Rosenquist
Located in Surfside, FL
James Rosenquist (1933-2017) THE GLASS WISHES (Glenn 161) Color lithograph, 1978-1986, on wove paper, hand signed, dated, titled, dedicated for Jack Martin from a partner in crime. 1...
Color, Lithograph
James Rosenquist 'Four New Clear Women' 1983- Signed
By James Rosenquist
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created to commemorate the opening of James Rosenquist’s exhibition at the legendary Leo Castelli Gallery on October 1, 1983, this signed poster represents a significant moment in th...
Offset
Once built for curbs and handrails, these boards now hang beside blue-chip works in major museums and collectors’ homes.
Americans are rediscovering the globe-trotting painter and poet, who was connected to all sorts of art movements across a long and varied career.
