JAMES ROSENQUIST The National Gallery of Canada, 1968

Original first-edition exhibition poster created for a major James Rosenquist exhibition held at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, January 24 – February 25, 1968. The exhibition was organized by Brydon Smith, then curator at the National Gallery, and represented one of the early museum presentations of Rosenquist’s work in Canada.

The striking poster design features a vivid red rose placed over a background resembling intertwined spaghetti forms, with the artist’s name boldly printed across the top. The imagery reflects Rosenquist’s characteristic Pop Art visual language, combining everyday objects and surreal juxtapositions to create a powerful graphic composition.

Printed in 1968, this poster was produced as a promotional piece for the exhibition and is now regarded as a collectible example of late-1960s Pop Art exhibition graphics. Rosenquist (1933–2017) was a leading figure of the Pop Art movement, known for his monumental paintings and billboard-inspired imagery.