ANDY WARHOL, BLACK RHINOCEROS (F. & S. II. 301), ENDANGERED SPECIES SERIES, SIGNED SCREEN PRINT ON LENOX MUSEUM CARDBOARD, 1983
Black Rhinoceros (F. & S. II. 301) is a print from Andy Warhol’s Endangered Species series (1983) that was created to draw attention to the endangered species of the world. The series transforms every animal from the Endangered Species Act of 1973 into a Pop Art cultural icon through Warhol’s use of kaleidoscopic colour. This print shows a vivid image of a Black Rhinoceros that can be found in parts of East Africa, whose population size has dramatically fallen since the 20th century largely due to hunting.
Commissioned in 1983 by celebrated political activists and philanthropists Ronald and Frayda Felmen to produce the series, this work marks Warhol’s passion for environmentalism and the philanthropic power of his Pop Art screen prints. Referring to the series has his ‘animals in makeup’, Warhol produces larger than life images of these animals with excessively saturated hues and surreal colour contrasts.
Black Rhinoceros (F. & S. II. 301) shows a photographic image of the animal rendered in bright blue blocks of colour, set against a solid orange backdrop and contoured with bold, red crayon-like outlines. The resulting image is reminiscent of Warhol’s iconic portrayals of superstar celebrities like his Marilyn (1962) and Liz series (1964), thus immortalising the image of the endangered animal into a Pop Art icon.
Find out more about Endangered Species by Andy Warhol.
ABOUT ANDY WARHOL
Andy Warhol (born Andrew Warhola) is a name synonymous with the celebrity culture and mass consumerism which coloured the boulevards of New York City in the Post World War II era. Born into a working class immigrant family in the urban landscape around the bustling metropolis, Warhol’s early life was characterised by a climb up the capitalist rungs of society.
The artist himself noted, “buying is more American than thinking, and I’m as American as they come”, this quote came to demarcate Warhol’s artistic practice as he embraced the commodification of the American Dream. The Pop artist’s beginnings in the business sector gave him the practical skill set to experiment with a more commercial approach to art throughout his career, particularly with regards to screen printing. Read more about Andy Warhol.
