Swimmer in the Econo-mist Deutsche Guggenheim berlin JAMES RQSEMHJS^cono-mist James Rosenquist: The Swimmer in the Econo-mist Curated by Robert Rosenblum Ewing, Photo credits; cat nos. 1, 3, p 12 Lee Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin cat no 2: Peter Foe, cat. nos. 4-15, p 34: March 7 -June 14, 1998 of the Ellen Labenski, fig. nos. 1, 11: courtesy James Rosenquist studio, fig no 3 t 1998 c 1998 The Solomon R. Guggenheim The Museum of Modern Art, New York, fig. Foundation, New York. All rights reserved. Rhemisches Bildarchiv Koln; fig. no. 6: George Holzer; fig. no 7 c 1996 The All works by James Rosenquist reproduced in fig no. 8: by Metropolitan Museum of Art, this book G James Rosenquist/ Licensed c 1998 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights VAGA, New York Used by permission. Society (ARS), New York, photo by Giraudon/ All rights reserved. Art Resource, New York, fig. no. 10: all rights The Metropolitan Museum of Art ISBN 0-89207-204-0 reserved, Images of Rosenquist in his studio by Gorgom Guggenheim Museum Publications Gianfranco 1071 Fifth Avenue Front cover- The Swimmer in the Econo-mist, New York, New York 10128 (painting 2), 1997 (cat. no 2) Margot Perman, Real Design on Designed by Pp 6, 24: James Rosenquist working studio in The Swimmer In the Econo-mist in his Cantz Printed m Germany by Aripeka, Fla., 1997 P 12: Detail of The Swimmer in the Econo-mist (painting 3). 1997 (cat. no. 3) P 18 Detail of Rosenquist in his studio in the P. 34 Detail of study for The Swimmer Econo-mist (painting 3), 1997 (cat no. 11) Contents 7 Interview with James Rosenquist ROBERT ROSENBLU M The Swimmer in the Econo-mist: The Paintings Swimming in the Mist: Another Time, Another Country JUDITH GOLDMAN The Swimmer in the Econo-mist: Studies Select Exhibition History and Bibliography JANICE YANG Foreword exhibition space to create a "room" themselves. The Swimmei 2" this, in a nutshell, walls of an 3 50 \ 50 in. 3.50 \ 14.60 m and 3 50 \ 6.10 m— Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin's gallery, is work, rhese are the in the Econo-mist, created for is the formal description ofjames Rosenquist's new earlier ones in terms of size three-part such a wraparound work, but transcends uniisu.il dimensions of The Swimmei in the Econo-mist, a To show historically important material from a contemporary painting made specially b\ the American artist for Pouts, he this mission defines the perspective .\n^\ support the creation of new work — Guggenheim Berlin.The first showing of a work commissioned for the future. inaugural our cultural activities in Berlin, now and in gallery, its presentation follows the historically focused exhibitions exhibition. Visions of Paris. Robert Delaunay's Series, and more are to tome Dr. Rolf-E. Breuei Deutsche Bank AG mmissioned works form an important part of our program. Spokesman of the Board of Managing Directors, cultural life with relatively i )ur intention is to contribute to Berlin's compact but out oi-the-ordm..r\ exhibitions tailored to our space. The response has been overwhelming. More than 45,000 visitors saw hours and tree admission on Delaunay's Paris paintings. I ongei opening Mondays were positively received, as were the guided tours and lunchtime lectures. Our special events, including a "Soiree Delauna) sold and a film series entitled "Visions of Paris," were out. Rosenquist is one of American Pop art's most important representatives. He achieved international acclaim with his first large- biggest Pop art painting in s< ale canvas, /-///. completed in 1965.The meters, it the world at that time, with a width of more than twenty-six w.is shown after its debut at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York at exhibition several ol Europe's most important museums m a traveling In subsequent years. Rosenquist has produced further "big paintings" Prior to The Swimmei in the Econo-mist, he painted The Holy Roman Empire through Check l>><nit Charlie (1994), which alludes to Berlin Rosenquist gained wide recognition in Germany in the 1960s. The collector Peter Ludwig met him in 1968 and soon afterwards purchased Horse Blinders (1968-69), tod. in one of the artistic highlights of the Ludwig Museum in Cologne The work, which is more than twenty-five meters wide, is one of Rosenquist's "environmental paintings." the term for a series of paintings that, like I - I I I. cover the Preface mural from is acquisition of his Flamingo Capsule This important One of the primary missions of the Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin to recent reappear in The Sim, una in '/" Econo-mist, is commission major works by the most prominent and promising artists 1970, with motifs that the works that form the foundation of the collection of the of our time. The elegant simplicity of the Richard Gluckman-designed among Bilbao setting in which artists can Guggenheim Museum gallery is intended to provide an uniting the 1960s, his paintings Roseiuiuist is well known in ( German} Sin< t mid- realize their own visions. With the spectacular suite of three and museum expressly for our paintings have been included m innumerable gallery entitled The Swimmet in the Econo-mist (1997-98), made he was the subje< I ol a mid this program exhibitions throughout the country, and new exhibition spate in Berlin, James Rosenquist has given career retrospective at the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in < ologne in a remarkable launching. '/'//<• however, is his first majoi regarding the commission in 1972. Strtiiimci in the Econo-mist, Rosenqmst and 1 began discussions oi election in commission tor the ( it) Berlin. November 1996, the month of the most recent presidential the arts in Berlin is central to oui the year of a A commitment to enriching the United Stales: the paintings were completed in 1998, thanks ^^ especially to Dr. Rolf- auspicious. As the partnership with Deutsche Bank M\ general election in Germany. The timing proved to be of the Board of Managing Directors, who with are tilled with the E. Breuer, Spokesman artist has repeatedly said, tor him. election years on the program of enlight- monumental room-scale tremendous interest and goodwill has carried possibility ot change, kosenquist's first two visual arts originally conceived by Ins predecessor. were also begun ened support of the works, /-/// (1964-65) and Horse Blinders (1968-69), I deeply Chairman ol the Supervisory Board am also charged period in American Hilmar Kopper, in election \ ears, during a particularly with intel- to Ariane Grigoteit and Friedhelm Hutte.who also of the Vietnam War, race grateful Dr history. It was a time of prosperity, but coordinated with the ligence md professionalism have successfully riots, and political assassinations this exhibition the Guggenheim stafFto realize those murals from three decades ago. The Swimmer in Like expertise Throughout the planning stage of the commission, the time and is realized on the Econo-mist is a history painting for our Director and of Robert Lisa Dennison, Chief Curator and Deputy about change—in the world and ot grandest scale. Indeed, it .s a painting am Twentieth-Century Art, proved invaluable 1 words, about "the tumult of Rosenblum, Curator of for the artist himself It is. in Rosenquist's Rosenblum tor having organized this exhibition. around the world and. m also grateful to Professor our economy," the upS and downs experienced with him so ably Blaut, Assistant Curator, who worked in the years after and to fulia particular, m the United States today and in Germany however, go tojan.es Rosenquist himself Mis expanse of My deepest thanks, The swirling vortices that barrel across the vast reunification. ofthis presen- work over the past year has ensured the success exceptional dynamism mark an intense these paintings and give the work its and its accompanying i atalogue. vocabulary tation entirely new direction m the artist's visual stems ba.k to his Rosenqu.sts own history at the Guggenheim Krens i Thomas Painters and the Object in 1963, inclusion in Lawrence Allow avs Six Guggenheim Foundation States Director, The Solomon R. Pop art in the United milestone exhibition for the emergence of commitment to Rosenquist's work, We have ,ont. nued to express our commission, but with the not only through our involvement with this M. r & m. ^ fcw — Interview ES ROSENQUIST BY ROBERT ROSENBLUM St IBLUM: Jim, going back through I ouis 1 hex got the news trom the horse's built for defense but never used -were responsible the decades, from the 1960s to the present, mouth. tor allowing people to live a certain lifestyle, to have .1 At that time, my parents lived in Dallas, Ie\as, three and a halt . hildren and two and hall i ars and I realize that you've had any number of big public commissions in your career. and John Kenned\ had (list been assassinated I had .1 house in tin- suburbs been in Dallas a month before his assassination Anyway, there were m.in\ reason-, for doing the 42'' /-/// painting I tinted it in iu\ Studio it JAMES ROSENQUIST: Not many, about twelve People were bored I here was ,1 terrible heat wave p. People were dying Old 1. idles were out shooting Broome Street 1 had man) visitors there from was .1 Christo t<> I co |t astelli], lleana [Sonnabend], Bob Well, that sounds like a lot to me. Anyway, their pistols .it target practice. There Dallas K.iusJienberg, Steve Pax ton. Alan Solomon for starters, I'd like to know how you feel about c owboys football game and fans were throwing hot streets Pistoletto, Virginia I )wan, I >ii k this one in terms of your earlier murals.