Fellatio
Fellatio
Unsigned Print
Andy Warhol
Screenprint, 1978
Unsigned Print Edition of 30
H 80cm x W 60cm
Critical Review
Fellatio is a silk screen print produced by the iconic Pop Artist Andy Warhol in 1978. The print, which comes in an edition size of 30, shows a man giving someone a blow job. Due to the angle of the image, only one of the men’s faces is visible and his eyes are covered by his hair. The way this image is captured preserves the men’s anonymity which has ironic undertones given the intimate act Warhol is depicting which he goes on to showcase to thousands of people all over the world.
The print can be seen alongside Warhol’s collection of screen prints, Sex Parts, which the artist produced in 1978. In this collection, Warhol produces graphic images in black and white of the male genitalia in a sketch-like style.
Warhol was known for producing controversial pieces of art and Fellatio is one of Warhol’s more explicit pieces that captures the artist's desire to explore taboo subjects in his artworks. In 1964, Warhol directed and produced a silent film called Blow Job in which he filmed DeVeren Bookwalter receiving a blow job. Shown at 24 frames per second, Warhol demanded that it be projected at 16 frames per second which slowed the film down by a third and drew attention to the sexual act being caught on camera. The short film differs from this print as it only captures Bookwalter’s facial expression and does not show the second person involved in the act.
