The Artistic Journey of Rolf Saint-Agnès
Rolf Saint-Agnès, a French artist, moved to New York City in 1991 and lived there for 10 years near Soho, where he breathed the same air as Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Hence, it was not surprising that he chose to express himself through pop art, portraying different aspects of his adopted city with a mixture of irony and affection, using his scathing sense of humor to depict the shortcomings of a consumer society. At that time, the AIDS epidemic was raging in New York, and Rolf offered his services to the NYC Department of Health as he wanted to participate in an awareness campaign. According to the artist, the message had to be optimistic, so he created two happily-embracing condoms that were reproduced on postcards and circulated throughout New York by the thousands. The campaign was a great success and was spoken about abroad, with the French weekly magazine, Paris Match, even dedicating a page to Rolf’s action.
