James Rosenquist‘s F-111 is a large-scale pop art painting completed in 1964–1965, measuring 10 feet by 86 feet. It consists of 51 panels and combines vibrant, fragmented imagery from consumer culture, advertising, and military iconography. The central image is a life-sized depiction of the F-111, a U.S. fighter-bomber jet developed during the Cold War, juxtaposed with everyday objects like a hairdryer, a light bulb, spaghetti, and a young girl under an atomic mushroom cloud. The painting critiques the intersection of American consumerism, militarism, and mass media, reflecting the era’s anxieties about war, capitalism, and technology. Its bold colors and fragmented composition mimic the overwhelming sensory experience of modern life. Originally created for a solo exhibition at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York, it was later acquired by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, where it remains a significant work in the pop art movement.

James Rosenquist: F-111 / MoMA New York City. August 28, 2025.