James Rosenquist

Acquired directly from the artist

Leo Castelli Gallery, James Rosenquist: 4E77st Revisited and New Paper Constructions from Gemini G.E.L, with statements by James Rosenquist, New York 1996, illustrated p. 37

“What does one do with beautiful French Arches paper that hasn't been done? Artists have drawn on it, painted on it, folded it, sandpapered it, ripped it, burned it, chewed it, and maybe eaten it, and still it remains archivally beautiful and long lasting. What next? I think we'll cut it in fine strips, dye it, draw and arrange it on a press, glue it and press it into a new form of paper composition to hold an image.” (James Rosenquist, James Rosenquist: 4E77st Revisited and New Paper Constructions from Gemini G.E.L,, New York: Leo Castelli Gallery, p. 17.)

In The Color of Intellect, James Rosenquist is redefining the medium of paper, breaking the boundaries of traditional art making. The assemblage of the vibrant colored strips create an artwork filled with motion and texture. The movement depicted through the process of collage, represents the ongoing and unstoppable speed of the hyper-capitalist world he was a part of. In the present work, instead of collaging images, he collages strips of paper — shards of images ­­— which suggest the absolute fragmentation of contemporary experience. The ‘images’ are no longer recognizable in any way; they have instead been obliterated by their own frenzied motion.

Considered as one of the pioneers of the Pop Art movement, Rosenquist’s art incorporates visual imagery from advertising and urban modern life. His work is often compared to that of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein due to their shared fascination with popular culture, yet Rosenquist’s practice emphasizes its underwhelming nature through enigmatic compositions meant to be a critical mirror image of mass media. The Color of Intellect represents as a quintessential example of Rosenquist’s critical approach to the speed of contemporary life.