Pencils, James Rosenqist (detail) from Leaky Ride for Dr. Leaky, Cantor Art Center, Stanford
Inspiration from the Pop art world: would British anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey recognize himself in this painting by James Rosenquist? I was attracted by the pencils, which seem ready to write something interesting—and a vertical cropping of the photo is less disorienting to me.
The actual painting is about 10 feet wide and is mounted horizontally.
Leaky Ride for Dr. Leaky, Oil on Canvas, James Rosenqist, 1983
The Cantor Art Center provides these notes to help us interpret the painting:
The British paleo-anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey (1903-1972) is famed for his studies of human evolution. In this painting whose elements loosely recall a rocket or huge spark plug, Rosenquist may have been considering evolution. From pencils to industrial tools to radio waves that are the invisible means of communicating far into space, the artist suggests that mankind’s evolution has been a long and fitful journey.
Cheers, Carto
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