Andy Warhol: Three Decades of Printmaking
This exhibition showcases a selection of prints and multiples by Andy Warhol that GL Arte has had in portfolio for sale or exhibition in the last six months.
These artworks are representative of key themes of the Artist’s distinctive printmaking ability over three decades.
- Artworks of the ‘60s
Warhol started his ‘60s print making by mostly producing prints after his paintings, and generally executed on non-expensive materials, and not considered at that time as items of high value, this was probably also intended as a way of making art more accessible to people.
Flowers II.6
This print was made in occasion of an exhibition by the Artist at Leo Castelli Gallery, and intended almost as a handout, printed on standard paper, costing a few dollars per copy, the edition not being even numbered, only reported to be of “around 300”. The artist made several paintings on this subject, in various sizes; it was a common practice at that time to create offset lithographs in coincidence with exhibitions of similar artworks. The photograph depicts hibiscus flowers and was taken by Patricia Caulfield, published in Modern Photography, issue June 1964. Warhol produced artworks with the same image also in the later Flowers portfolio of 10, with different colours and composition process.
Portraits of the Artists, 1967
This artwork, shown here courtesy of Cubic Cultura y Colección, was part of the “Ten from Leo Castelli” portfolio of artworks, which was created for the 10th anniversary of Leo Castelli Gallery. The artists that participated in the portfolio appear in the three-dimensional artwork, each artist in 10 of the 100 (10x10) cubes. The artists include, from left to right, Lee Bontecou, Frank Stella, Larry Poons, Robert Morris, Donald Judd, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol. This is an example of how Warhol, from the late ‘60s, started to create prints that were different from his paintings, rather than reproductions of these. Also, this artwork is peculiar, in that the signature is incised, due to the type of media used, whereas most other prints were signed and numbered in either ball-point pen, felt pen, or most often pencil.
- Artworks of the ‘70s
Andy Warhol continued his innovation path in printmaking in the ‘70s, this period brought about more innovative techniques, increasingly sophisticated in the use of screen printing. From the middle of the decade, the artist started collaborating with master printer Alexander Heinrici, creating together editions and portfolios with a certain continuity in the stylistic evolution; elements of the new styles included use of Polaroid’s photographs taken by Warhol himself, with superimposed drawing, collage, and the use of colour blocs.
Paloma Picasso, 1975
This artwork is based on a Polaroid taken by the artist and is one of many occasions where Warhol created portraits of famous people from his time. This is also a representative example of commission projects, which Warhol continued taking throughout his career, in this case from publishers. This piece was made with Alexander Heinrici, with heavy inking in the colour blocks and screen-printed background, to be included in volume VI of the “Hommage a Picasso” portfolio, which included another 10 American artists, out of a total of 57 different artist in the entire portfolio.
Ladies and Gentlemen, 1975
The Ladies and Gentlemen series portraits models that were regulars in the ‘70s New York City clubbing scene and uses photographs that Warhol had taken himself. The series began with the single F&SII.126 artwork, which was made for an exhibition held in Ferrara, Italy, in 1975, and comes in a smaller size than the rest of the series. This print was followed by the single F&S II.127 artwork, shown in our exhibition, in a larger size, and then by the more famous 1975 portfolio of 10 prints (F&S II.128-137), commissioned by Italian gallerist Luciano Anselmino, in an even larger size and on higher quality torn Arches paper, of which we show two pieces here (F&S II.125 and 131). The series was made to celebrate the emerging drag and trans community in the ‘70s New York and is emblematic of the ability of Warhol to make ordinary people famous with his art – like he used to say, “everyone can be famous for 15 minutes”. The portfolio of 10 is characterised by the superimposing of a drawn line and block colours to the screen-printed background from the Polaroid portrait image, which was becoming a feature of his many later editions. In addition to the prints, Warhol created several paintings in different sizes, based on the photography sessions undertaken.
- Artworks of the ‘80s
During the ‘80s, Warhol worked on a variety of subjects, including still life, portraits, and commissions, as well as items and subjects of popular culture.
Most artworks printed during these years were from Warhol’s long-standing collaboration with Rupert Jasen Smith in New York, including pieces published outside of the United States. From the technique point of view, his creations become even more sophisticated and complex that in the previous decade, including at times imaging layers that use diamond dust and other more expensive materials, and block colours based on collage.
Committee 2000
This artwork was produced on commission in Germany, for Committee 2000, an institution in charge of celebrations for the year 2000. Warhol continued creating artworks on commissions in several countries worldwide. Like most editions of the ‘80s, including the portfolio sets, Committee 2000 was printed on museum quality paper, to increasingly convey the idea of printed editions as an art investment, to be protected with high quality materials, but more affordable than the paintings that were also created in the same series, like it was often the case. The artwork is based on a Polaroid photograph, with pastel colours and the use of superimposed lines, also in colours.
Kiku
This set of three artworks was again created by Warhol on commission by Ryoichi Ishida. The images depict chrysanthemum flowers, which are the insignia of the Royal House of Japan; the style used here includes superimposition of glossy lines onto the screen-printed photographic images in the background, and each print has a different colourway. The Arches paper used is art cardboard, with a silky- feeling, thick ink layer printed to the edges. Producing sets of prints makes the variety of colours on the same subject affordable to more collectors, surely compared to a full set of paintings, and it had been a constant theme of Warhol printmaking since the ‘60s. Warhol’s studio also produced unnumbered and often unsigned unique prints based on the same images, with a variety of colourways experimented by the artist.
Chanel, from Ads portfolio
During the ‘80s, Warhol also returned to earlier themes, such as advertising and in general the pop art mantra of consumer products. The Ads series, which included paintings as well as a portfolio of 10 prints goes in this direction; in this exhibition, we feature a posthumous version of the Chanel image, which was taken from the F&S II.354 and reproduced by Chanel for an advertising campaign in the ‘90s, in four colourways, becoming a new set of artworks of its own. The campaign was produced in linen-backed posters, in two sizes.
These artworks are representative of key themes of the Artist’s distinctive printmaking ability over three decades.
- Artworks of the ‘60s
Warhol started his ‘60s print making by mostly producing prints after his paintings, and generally executed on non-expensive materials, and not considered at that time as items of high value, this was probably also intended as a way of making art more accessible to people.
Flowers II.6
This print was made in occasion of an exhibition by the Artist at Leo Castelli Gallery, and intended almost as a handout, printed on standard paper, costing a few dollars per copy, the edition not being even numbered, only reported to be of “around 300”. The artist made several paintings on this subject, in various sizes; it was a common practice at that time to create offset lithographs in coincidence with exhibitions of similar artworks. The photograph depicts hibiscus flowers and was taken by Patricia Caulfield, published in Modern Photography, issue June 1964. Warhol produced artworks with the same image also in the later Flowers portfolio of 10, with different colours and composition process.
Portraits of the Artists, 1967
This artwork, shown here courtesy of Cubic Cultura y Colección, was part of the “Ten from Leo Castelli” portfolio of artworks, which was created for the 10th anniversary of Leo Castelli Gallery. The artists that participated in the portfolio appear in the three-dimensional artwork, each artist in 10 of the 100 (10x10) cubes. The artists include, from left to right, Lee Bontecou, Frank Stella, Larry Poons, Robert Morris, Donald Judd, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol. This is an example of how Warhol, from the late ‘60s, started to create prints that were different from his paintings, rather than reproductions of these. Also, this artwork is peculiar, in that the signature is incised, due to the type of media used, whereas most other prints were signed and numbered in either ball-point pen, felt pen, or most often pencil.
- Artworks of the ‘70s
Andy Warhol continued his innovation path in printmaking in the ‘70s, this period brought about more innovative techniques, increasingly sophisticated in the use of screen printing. From the middle of the decade, the artist started collaborating with master printer Alexander Heinrici, creating together editions and portfolios with a certain continuity in the stylistic evolution; elements of the new styles included use of Polaroid’s photographs taken by Warhol himself, with superimposed drawing, collage, and the use of colour blocs.
Paloma Picasso, 1975
This artwork is based on a Polaroid taken by the artist and is one of many occasions where Warhol created portraits of famous people from his time. This is also a representative example of commission projects, which Warhol continued taking throughout his career, in this case from publishers. This piece was made with Alexander Heinrici, with heavy inking in the colour blocks and screen-printed background, to be included in volume VI of the “Hommage a Picasso” portfolio, which included another 10 American artists, out of a total of 57 different artist in the entire portfolio.
Ladies and Gentlemen, 1975
The Ladies and Gentlemen series portraits models that were regulars in the ‘70s New York City clubbing scene and uses photographs that Warhol had taken himself. The series began with the single F&SII.126 artwork, which was made for an exhibition held in Ferrara, Italy, in 1975, and comes in a smaller size than the rest of the series. This print was followed by the single F&S II.127 artwork, shown in our exhibition, in a larger size, and then by the more famous 1975 portfolio of 10 prints (F&S II.128-137), commissioned by Italian gallerist Luciano Anselmino, in an even larger size and on higher quality torn Arches paper, of which we show two pieces here (F&S II.125 and 131). The series was made to celebrate the emerging drag and trans community in the ‘70s New York and is emblematic of the ability of Warhol to make ordinary people famous with his art – like he used to say, “everyone can be famous for 15 minutes”. The portfolio of 10 is characterised by the superimposing of a drawn line and block colours to the screen-printed background from the Polaroid portrait image, which was becoming a feature of his many later editions. In addition to the prints, Warhol created several paintings in different sizes, based on the photography sessions undertaken.
- Artworks of the ‘80s
During the ‘80s, Warhol worked on a variety of subjects, including still life, portraits, and commissions, as well as items and subjects of popular culture.
Most artworks printed during these years were from Warhol’s long-standing collaboration with Rupert Jasen Smith in New York, including pieces published outside of the United States. From the technique point of view, his creations become even more sophisticated and complex that in the previous decade, including at times imaging layers that use diamond dust and other more expensive materials, and block colours based on collage.
Committee 2000
This artwork was produced on commission in Germany, for Committee 2000, an institution in charge of celebrations for the year 2000. Warhol continued creating artworks on commissions in several countries worldwide. Like most editions of the ‘80s, including the portfolio sets, Committee 2000 was printed on museum quality paper, to increasingly convey the idea of printed editions as an art investment, to be protected with high quality materials, but more affordable than the paintings that were also created in the same series, like it was often the case. The artwork is based on a Polaroid photograph, with pastel colours and the use of superimposed lines, also in colours.
Kiku
This set of three artworks was again created by Warhol on commission by Ryoichi Ishida. The images depict chrysanthemum flowers, which are the insignia of the Royal House of Japan; the style used here includes superimposition of glossy lines onto the screen-printed photographic images in the background, and each print has a different colourway. The Arches paper used is art cardboard, with a silky- feeling, thick ink layer printed to the edges. Producing sets of prints makes the variety of colours on the same subject affordable to more collectors, surely compared to a full set of paintings, and it had been a constant theme of Warhol printmaking since the ‘60s. Warhol’s studio also produced unnumbered and often unsigned unique prints based on the same images, with a variety of colourways experimented by the artist.
Chanel, from Ads portfolio
During the ‘80s, Warhol also returned to earlier themes, such as advertising and in general the pop art mantra of consumer products. The Ads series, which included paintings as well as a portfolio of 10 prints goes in this direction; in this exhibition, we feature a posthumous version of the Chanel image, which was taken from the F&S II.354 and reproduced by Chanel for an advertising campaign in the ‘90s, in four colourways, becoming a new set of artworks of its own. The campaign was produced in linen-backed posters, in two sizes.