"[My art is] about contemporary life. It's like sitting and unraveling your sweater; all of a sudden your sweater comes off and the whole atmosphere changes because of one loose thread." - James Rosenquist
The title of this work, East (Horse Blinders Series), is Rosenquist's reference to the science of peripheral vision, which many modern artists felt played a significant role in the viewer's perception of a work of art. This work is one of a series of four prints that emulate the "wrap-around" effect of Rosenquist's room-sized painting, Horse Blinders, created in 1968-69. The painting and prints are composed of four related parts labeled north, south, east, and west. Rosenquist suggests the content of his work is not in the images he paints, but, rather, the relationship of the images is the subject matter, and the subject matter is what blossoms into content.
JAMES ROSENQUIST CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 1933 Born in Grand Forks, ND Parents Swedish and Norwegian descent 1942 Moves to Minneapolis at age 9 1952-54 Attends University of Minnesota. Paints commercial billboards during summer for General Outdoor Advertising 1955 Receives scholarship to Art Student League, New York 1957-59 Paints billboards in Times Square 1961 Paints Zone, the first studio painting to use commercial techniques and imagery 1962 First solo exhibition 1963 Shows at Museum of Modern Art, New York 1964 Joins the prestigious Leo Castelli Gallery 1965 Exhibits the now famous F-111 (86-feet long, room-sized installation mural) 1968 First retrospective, at age 35 1986 F-111 sells for $2 million 1996 Museum of Modern Art acquires F-111 2003 The Guggenheim Museum tours major retrospective curated by Walter Hopps 2004 Commissioned by the Plains Art Museum for a North Dakota themed mural 2005 North Dakota State University bestows Honorary Doctorate
ROSENQUIST ARTIST RESIDENCY BEGINS IN FALL
NDSU has established the James Rosenquist Artist Residency Program for Visual Arts.
"This residency program allows us to honor Mr. Rosenquist, who is one of the greatest
artists this state has ever produced," said Thomas Riley, dean of arts, humanities and social sciences.
The program, scheduled to begin in fall 2006, will bring a guest artist to campus for
a semester, providing studio space, equipment, a stipend and accommodations. During the time in residence, the artist will develop his or her work and interact with students and the community.