“Ladies & Gentlemen” by Andy Warhol belongs to one of the most complex and less celebratory cycles in the artist’s production. In this series, in fact, the artist portrays African American and Latina drag and transgender figures from New York, photographed in his studio through direct and serial methods. However, unlike the iconic portraits of celebrities, here the visual language becomes more fragmented and experimental.
The work is a colour silkscreen on paper, characterized by an overlapping of free chromatic fields and gestural interventions that, therefore, alter the original photographic image. Moreover, the use of colour is not merely decorative, but contributes to creating a visual tension between face and background, accentuating the individual identity of the subject. At the same time, the silkscreen grain and the imperfectly registered areas emphasize the mechanical process typical of Warhol’s practice.
From a historical point of view, “Ladies & Gentlemen” marks a mature phase in Andy Warhol’s work, in which the artist reflects on the theme of representation and marginality, while maintaining the serial structure typical of Pop Art. Moreover, this series is today considered central to the critical rereading of his artistic path, precisely because it addresses subjects far removed from the star system.
Description: Colour silkscreen on paper, bearing on the back a pencil inscription lower left with edition number, signature and date “75/125 Andy Warhol 75 75 ©AWE”, H cm 73×110.5
Publications: work published in ‘Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962-1987’, Feldman/Schellmann/Fourth edition revisited and expanded by Frayda Feldman and Claudia Defendi, D.A.P./ Distributed Art Publishers, II, p. 90. Printed by: Aetna Silkscreen Products, Inc., New York. Published by: Factory Additions, New York.
Hammer Price: € 8.060,00
Auction 53 – 5 July 2022 – Modern and Contemporary Art, Graphics and Multiples
All the works by Andy Warhol presented at auction
Discover all the top lots from our Modern and Contemporary art auctions!
Do you own a work by Andy Warhol? Request a free valuation right now!
Contact us:
