Accession Number
1974/1.254

Title
Bunraku

Artist(s)
James Rosenquist

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1970

Medium & Support
lithograph on Arches paper

Dimensions
32 in x 23 1/2 in (81.28 cm x 59.69 cm);39 15/16 in x 29 15/16 in (101.44 cm x 76.04 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
As a departure from his more iconic, vibrant, and large paintings, Bunraku is an abstract black and white print. The title of this print references a traditional form of puppet theater in Japan. The American Pop artist typically combined popular American iconography in fantastical proportions and settings. In this work, the shiny orbs resemble the pop images of machines and modern conveniences found in his other works.

Physical Description
This lithograph depicts a series of oblong orbs arranged in an oval. The background is a patternless, dense formation of squiggly lines. The print is numbered and titled (l.l.) "54/60 Banraku" and signed and dated (l.r.) "James Rosenquist 1970" in pencil.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Primary Object Type
black and white print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Abstract (fine arts style)
American (North American)
Pop (fine arts styles)
abstraction
geometric figures
modern and contemporary art
shading