Surreal Sixties: Work By Ed Ruscha, James Rosenquist at the Whitney

A current show at the Whitney Museum of American Art looks at the work of more than 100 artists who were part of the art scene from 1958 to 1972. Some of the artists, like Ed Ruscha, James Rosenquist and Claes Oldenburg became well-known during that era, and others did not.

 

 

The exhibit, Sixties Surreal, explores the cultural context in which artists worked during those years. Those mid-century years saw changes in social, political, technological  and artistic arenas. 

 

In 1956, Ed Ruscha (b.1937) left his home in Oklahoma City and drove to Los Angeles to attend the California Institute of Arts. For Ruscha, it was love at first sight when he got to LA. "They had a hot-rod culture here, they had palm trees, they had blonde beach bunnies in the sand.” he said. “There was progressive jazz happening at the same time. All of that added up to a possibly attractive future." 

 

Ruscha based much of his work on the landmarks and landscapes in LA. He used words, in very specific fonts, that added meaning to his works and influenced many younger artists. “I like the idea of a word becoming a picture, almost leaving its body,” then coming back and becoming a word again.” he said.

 

James Rosenquist (1933-2017) was born in North Dakota. He studied art at the University of Minnesota while working as a sign painter.

 

It was when he moved to New York in 1955 and studied at the Art Students League, that his paintings became more Surreal as well as Pop.

 

Rosenquist was also an outspoken advocate who lobbied for federal protection of artists' rights during the 1970s and was appointed to the National Council on the Arts.

 

A soundtrack of music from the sixties is part of the exhibit. It was put together by two of the exhibit’s curators who imagined a radio show playing the songs that the artists might have listened to from 1958 to 1972. 

 

Sixties Surreal is currently on view at the Whitney and will run through January 19, 2026.

 

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A painting by Picasso that has been in a private collection since 1944 will be shown to the public for the first time in 80 years.

 

 

Buste de femme au chapeau à fleurs is a portrait of Dora Maar. Picasso painted many portraits of Maar, who was also an exceptional artist. 

 

The portrait has been in a private collection. The owner of the work, who wishes to remain anonymous, inherited it from his grandfather.

 

The painting will be shown to the public on October 21, then auctioned at Lucien Paris on October 24. The 24 x 32 inch painting is estimated to be sold for about $9.4 million.

 

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Please contact us if you would like more information about the work of Ed Ruscha, James Rosenquist or Picasso available at VFA.

 

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 References:

Kim Willsher. Picasso painting not seen for 80 years unveiled by Paris auction house. The Guardian. September 18, 2025.

Brian Boucher. Picasso Portrait, Unseen for 80 Years, Goes to Auction. Artnet. September 18, 2025.

October 10, 2025