Sister Shrieks 1989

James Rosenquist's "Sister Shrieks" emerges as a kind of energetic explosion. It's hard to know how it was made, but I imagine it's been shifting, building, and resolving in ways that only became clear to Rosenquist in the act of making. The red ground feels like the electric hum of a refrigerator, humming a low note, while the white markings feel light and airy. It feels like Rosenquist is channeling something he is trying to understand. I imagine him pushing paint around, trying to wrangle the image into something that feels right. The gesture can communicate a whole mess of feeling, intention, or meaning. I mean, that circular loop on the right is so audacious, it really makes you wonder, what was he thinking when he made that?! Ultimately, "Sister Shrieks" is another perspective in a long tradition of artists making marks and meaning, and it leaves you wondering what the shriek is about.