Nails

Although James Rosenquist's works have undeniable visual appeal, throughout his career he has made works that also contain societal reflections or critiques. On a superficial level, Nails consists of a jaunty group of colored forms that appear to dance across the canvas. According to the artist, part of the inspiration for the series comes from his spending a night in jail after taking part in a political protest, and he saw scratch marks on the wall used by inmates to mark off the number of days in groups of five. Consequently, the Nails operates not only on a formal level, but also represents a more general reflection on the passing of time, an aspect of which has a directly autobiographical content.