Andy Warhol - Contemporary Art Evening Sale London Friday, October 17, 2008 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Castelli Graphics and Multiples, Inc., New York

  • Literature

    F. Feldman and J. Schellmann (eds.), Andy Warhol Prints: a Catalogue Raisonné, New York, 1985, pp. 54-55, II.90-99 (illustrated); F. Feldman and J. Schellmann (eds.), Andy Warhol Prints: a Catalogue Raisonné, New York, 2003, pp. 82-83, II.90-99 (illustrated); S. Bluttal & D. Hickey (eds.), Andy Warhol "GIANT" Size, London, 2006, p. 507 (illustrated)

  • Catalogue Essay

    "Every time I go out and someone is being elected President or Mayor or something, they stick their images all over the world, and I always think I do those. I always think it’s my work. Isn’t life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves? (Andy Warhol, quoted from Cast a Cold Eye: The Late Work of Andy Warhol, Gagosian Gallery, 2006. p. 144)
    Aside from society portraits, the portraits could often pack a political punch. Such as the case with Vote McGovern (1972), which was a contribution to the presidential campaign of George McGovern. Instead of a portrait of McGovern, Warhol silk-screened a ghastly green image of President Richard Nixon, the incumbent, with the words “Vote McGovern” scrawled below. Warhol also painted several portraits of China’s Mao Tse-tung, as well creating an edition of wallpaper featuring the communist leader’s face, on which he hung other paintings. Warhol often stated that his goal was to obtain the patronage of the dictator, who would then mandate that Warhol’s portrait be place in every governmental office , school, and so on , ensuring the artist unlimited financial opportunities. (K. Goldsmith , Polaroids and Pictures, Andy Warhol: “Giant Size”, London, 2006 p. 450)
    Although the communist leader did not conduct business with the American artist with an interest in commercialism that bordered on the obsessive, the Mao series prevailed to be one of the most pivotal moments in his career in portraiture, if not his entire career. This lot, comprising of ten prints is a stunning example of Warhol’s mastery over icons and ability to turn any image into a logo of his obsession with fame.
     
     

  • Artist Biography

    Andy Warhol

    American • 1928 - 1987

    Andy Warhol was the leading exponent of the Pop Art movement in the U.S. in the 1960s. Following an early career as a commercial illustrator, Warhol achieved fame with his revolutionary series of silkscreened prints and paintings of familiar objects, such as Campbell's soup tins, and celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe. Obsessed with popular culture, celebrity and advertising, Warhol created his slick, seemingly mass-produced images of everyday subject matter from his famed Factory studio in New York City. His use of mechanical methods of reproduction, notably the commercial technique of silk screening, wholly revolutionized art-making.

    Working as an artist, but also director and producer, Warhol produced a number of avant-garde films in addition to managing the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground and founding Interview magazine. A central figure in the New York art scene until his untimely death in 1987, Warhol was notably also a mentor to such artists as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

     

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353

Mao

1972
The complete set of ten screenprints in colours, on Becket High White paper,
Each: 91.4 x 91.4 cm. (36 x 36 in).
Each signed in ball point pen and stamp-numbered on the reverse, from the edition of 250, the colours fresh, all in very good condition, unframed.

Estimate
£350,000 - 450,000 

Contemporary Art Evening Sale

18 Oct 2008, 7pm
London