The Pop art movement exploded from mid-50s Britain, and had it's impact on American culture by the late 50s. One of the pioneering figures of this American Pop Art movement was Andy Warhol (1928-1987) who's foundations were in commercial art, however he is widely appreciated as a studio artist due to his extensive production of screen-printed portraits - often of celebrities and popular brands.
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| 'Liz' 1964 Synthetic polymer, paint and silkscreen on canvas (101.6 x 101.6cm) |
This particular piece is a portrait of actress Elizebeth Taylor (1932-2011) known for her parts in films such as Lassie Come Home (1943) and Cleopatra (1963). Apart from acting Taylor has been celebrated for her work as an AIDS activist and an embracer of the gay community - a rarity of the time.
Technique
To create such prints Warhol would use a silk screen - a mode of screen-printing which soon became his signature technique. This would be carried out by laying canvas material onto the ground on to which Warhol would then place a specially prepared silk-screen with the image masked on. Sometimes Warhol would work on monotonous images although many of his pieces involve layers as demonstrated in his paintings of Taylor.
Here is an insight of how Warhol used to create his prints. He makes a print of Marlon Brando, with assistance from Gerard Malanga.
It is evident that Warhol was a prolific worker and created many variations of this image, experimenting with colour and composition as can be seen in many of his prints. It can also be observed that components such as the lip and eye makeup appear to be off register - adding to the atmosphere of the piece.
Conceptual Qualities
It seems that Warhol was preoccupied, obsessively so, with ideas of fame, glamour and superficiality but in a way that may be considered satirical or humorous. As the once claimed "I am a deeply superficial person".
This idea of deep superficiality is something that can be seen in Warhol's paintings of Taylor as he has depicted a media icon that is known for her outstanding physical beauty however the artist has portrayed her in a darker light - like a journalist who scratches away at the surface, revealing the dirt that lies beneath. Warhol creates this atmosphere by allowing the background to bleed through thus creating a sense of ethereality which is exaggerated by the darkness seeping in from the left. This darkness seems to drown out Taylor's violet eyes for which she is notorious for.
This darkness is contrasted by the vivid red and blue, which Warhol has applied like make up on a clown, thus turning Taylor's portrait into a sinister caricature of celebrity. At a glance the viewer may judge this image according to the slight smirk that Taylor seems to be exhibiting, however this smile may be intended as a façade to hide a dark truth.
Elizebeth was even considered the "personification of charisma whose highly public life charged with drama, tragedy, and romance, this iconic muse was a perfect vehicle for Warhol's vivid silk-screen portraiture ..." (Review from the Gasgosian Gallery)
Ultimately, Warhol has painted an image made of layers thus portraying Taylor as an illusive individual who has become trapped within the trade of celebrity - a delusional world of false expections. Begging the question:
What is a persona and what it real?
(Source(s): http://artdaily.com/news/50569/Exhibition-of-portraits-by-Andy-Warhol-of-the-late-Elizabeth-Taylor-at-Gagosian-Gallery#.Ul-2OFA3tjk
http://artobserved.com/2009/06/go-see-paris-warhols-wide-world-a-retrospective-on-andy-warhol-at-the-galeries-nationales-du-grand-palais-through-july-13th-2009/ http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/features/saltz/andy-warhols-portraits-of-liz3-24-11.
asp )
