Jay DeFeo's 'The Rose'

This exhibition presented Jay DeFeo’s (1929–1989) colossal work The Rose (1958–66) for the first time. Constructed from layers of oil paint, the work measures 8 by 10 feet and weighs 2,300 pounds. The fissured and textured buildup of paint resembles relief sculpture. The Rose was shown alongside The White Rose, a short film by artist Bruce Conner that documented the removal of the painting from DeFeo’s studio and its travel to Los Angeles for the exhibition. Following its display in Pasadena, Jay DeFeo’s “The Rose” traveled to the San Francisco Museum of Art and San Francisco Art Institute.