A Free for All

American artist James Rosenquist (1933-2017) became a key figure of the Pop Art movement during the mid-twentieth century.

Rosenquist lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the early portion of his career, where he studied at the Minneapolis School of Art and Design, and the University of Minnesota. Subsequently, he moved to New York, where he joined the Art Students League.

Rosenquist’s style was influenced by his work in sign painting, where he became fixated on consumerist culture in American society. However, unlike other members of the Pop Art movement, Rosenquist’s works were also inspired by Surrealism. In this collage print from the Dorsky’s collection, entitled A Free For All, Rosenquist’s unique approach to Pop Art is highlighted, with the juxtaposition of discernible symbols, like the American Flag, in contrast with the abstraction of the other surroundings.