James Rosenquist, The Kabuki Blushes, 1986, Lithograph and monoprint, Polk Museum of Art Permanent Collection 1989.1, Purchase with Kent Harrison Memorial Acquisition Fund © James Rosenquist

James Rosenquist (1933-2017) created expressive works from the imagery of popular culture for more than fifty years. He began exploring these images and helping to define Pop Art alongside artist such as Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol. Rosenquist himself defined painting as "the ability to put layers of feeling on a picture plane and then have those feelings seep out as slowly as possible." His artworks create contradictory feelings of connection with the viewer by using relatively simple or familiar imagery, but combining them in such a way that they seem somehow mysterious. Viewing one of Rosenquist's creations becomes, therefore, a continuous movement from the details to the picture as a whole and then back.

Polk Museum of Art bestowed Mr. Rosenquist its Artist's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006 and is proud to count these six works by Rosenquist among its collection.