Cold Rolled,1974-76; Lithograph in colors with string and stone, on Arches Cover paper; Signed 'James Rosenquist' and dated 1974-76 lower right, titled 'Cold Rolled' in pencil lower center left; and numbered 5/60 in pencil lower left; Published by S. Singer, New York; Framed using a linen liner, a black wood frame, and UV plexiglass.
The American artist James Rosenquist earned his living as a billboard painter from 1957-1960 and this is often sited as one of the artist's inspirations, as his former job relates to scale and size of some of his most famous works. Although Rosenquist is usually grouped in with the Pop Artists, he does not like this classification. He has said, "They [art critics] called me a Pop artist because I used recognizable imagery. The critics like to group people together. I didn't meet Andy Warhol until 1964. I did not really know Andy or Roy Lichtenstein that well. We all emerged separately."
Signature and date for "Cold Rolled"
Rosenquist is known for taking fragmented and odd images and then combining, overlapping, and/or placing them in unusual orientations in order to create a visual story line. In many cases the original derivation of the image can not be determined, so that the viewer is left seeing familiar features of an object but not completely able to determine what the object was originally. It is this ability, to organize and then synthesize into new compositions, that has made Rosenquist one of the greatest artists working today.
Top of the string going through a hole at the top of the sheet.
Bottom of the string showing a close-up of the rock tied to the end.
"Cold Rolled, 1974-1976" is a large format print by James Rosenquist showcasing some of his most famous imagery that he developed through the years. The most prominent feature of the work is the large paperclip which spans the sheet on a slight diagonal; which immediately puts the viewer off balance. The left side of the sheet is dominated by the mottled blue color with the white outline of beam of light being bent as it passes through a triangular prism. The center white area has the collaged elements of a string with rock attached, and the rock rests near the nexus of the series of varying light values of primary colored lines expanding upward. The right side of the print is composed of a red mottled area with fragmented sections of a penny, as well as a series of different colored horizontal tire tracks. The totality of the work reorganizes all these objects and fragments into a truly beautiful and complex work that can be enjoyed both close up and far away. The addition of the collaged string and rock increases the visual interest and adds an additional layer of balance.
Framed image of "Cold Rolled"
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