Screen icon and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe was a favorite subject of many Pop artists, and she figures prominently in more than fifteen works in the Museum’s collection. Here, in a tribute to the actress created soon after her suicide in 1962, Rosenquist inverted and fragmented her image and superimposed a portion of her name over it. He also included a segment of the brand name “Coca-Cola” in its trademark script, rendered upside down. Pairing Monroe with this famous logo suggests that she is as iconic an example of American popular culture as the ubiquitous soft drink.
Gallery label from 2011.