Lot 255
255
James Rosenquist (b. 1933)
Property from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Bagley Wright
James Rosenquist (b. 1933)

Drawing for Shelf Life

Details
James Rosenquist (b. 1933)
Drawing for Shelf Life
signed, titled and dated 'drawing for Shelf Life James Rosenquist 1972' (lower edge)
charcoal, graphite, enamel and watercolor on paper
41¾ x 30 in. (106 x 76.2 cm.)
Painted in 1972.
Provenance
Leo Castelli Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owners, 1972
Literature
D. P. Vanderlip, James Rosenquist, exh. cat., Denver Art Museum, 1985, p. 53 (the sculpture illustrated).

Lot Essay

The present drawing is a study for a sculpture of the same name, which Rosenquist completed in 1972. "Shelf Life is a metaphor," Rosenquist says. "It's about trying new things. Paint gets stale on the shelf; so do ideas and plans. It was an elaborate joke. You could only get paint on this canvas by opening and closing the door" (J. Rosenquist quoted in James Rosenquist, exh. cat., Denver Art Museum, 1985, p. 53).

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