Name: Flash November 22 (F. & S. II.32)
Brand: Andy Warhol
Rating: 5 (234 reviews)

Meaning & Analysis

This signed screen print by Andy Warhol was produced in 1968 and comes in an edition size of 200. The print depicts a faded image of the American president, John. F Kennedy rendered in a dark grey. The print is part of a collection of eleven screen prints which Warhol produced in response to the assassination of Kennedy in 1963.

In Flash November 22 (F. & S. II.32), Warhol takes an image of John F. Kennedy that circulated in the mass media after the president of the United States was assassinated in 1963. Warhol’s prints are often characterised by his use of bright and bold colours, however in this print, a sombre dark grey dominates the composition.

The print is part of the Flash November 22 collection, a series of 11 screen prints, all of which involve images from the news that were circulated in response to the assassination of the president. The collection of prints was controversial due to the way in which Warhol turns a tragic event into a commercial object that circulates the art market. The title of the series stems from the phrase ‘news-flash’ which is used in the media to signal an important piece of news.

The print reflects Warhol’s interest in the complex relationship between society and tragedy. Warhol was fascinated by Kennedy’s assassination and the way American society responded to this shocking event. The artist often used this event as the subject of his artworks, notably in his collection of Jackie Kennedy prints, produced in 1965. Flash November 22 was Warhol’s final artistic response to the assasination.