James Rosenquist was born on November 29, 1933 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. He grew up in a working-class family and had a great interest in art from a young age. At the age of 16, he began studying at the Minneapolis School of Art, but had to leave due to a lack of financial resources.

After leaving school, Rosenquist moved to New York, where he began working as a sign painter to support himself. During this time, he also studied at the Art Students League of New York, where he received drawing and painting classes.

In the late 1950s, Rosenquist began working in his own studio and creating his own art. At first, his works were in an abstract and expressionist style, but he later began to incorporate elements of advertising and popular culture into his work. As he developed his style, Rosenquist became one of the founding members of the Pop Art movement.

In the 1960s, Rosenquist began creating large collages and paintings that combined elements of advertising and popular culture with traditional easel painting. One of his most famous works is "F-111" (1965), a 23-panel mural painting that is over 20 meters long. This work depicts a US military plane surrounded by elements of popular culture such as advertising and processed foods.

In 1962, Rosenquist had his first solo exhibition at the Green Gallery in New York. Since then, his work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions worldwide, including retrospectives at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in 1972, the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris in 1994, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2003.

Throughout his career, Rosenquist also worked in other media such as film and sculpture. In the 1960s, he created several experimental films and collaborated with other artists such as Claes Oldenburg and Robert Rauschenberg on the creation of monumental sculptures.

Rosenquist was also an active advocate for political and social causes. In the 1970s, he worked with the Art Workers Coalition to improve the working conditions of artists and to fight for equality in the art world.

James Rosenquist passed away on March 31, 2017 at the age of 83 at his home in New York. Throughout his career, he left a significant legacy in the history of Pop Art and his work continues to be appreciated by art lovers around the world.