ANDY WARHOL, FLOWERS (F. & S. II.115), FLOWERS (HAND-COLOURED) SERIES, SCREEN PRINT WITH HAND-COLOURING, 1974
Andy Warhol’s print Flowers (F. & S. II.115) from his Flowers (Hand-Coloured) series (1974) is one of the artist’s more unusual prints, showing a hand-drawn illustration of a vase of flowers. In contrast to other prints in the series, Flowers (F. & S. II. 115) is not embellished with Dr. Martin’s aniline watercolour dyes and is presented as a simple line drawing with black ink against a white background.
Using wallpaper samples and the book Interpretative Flower Designs by Mrs Raymond Rus Stolz as his source material, Warhol used an opaque projector to copy from these images and create this delicately rendered image. Rendered without colour, this print has a simplistic and naïve quality to it that is uncharacteristic of Warhol’s traditional graphic style. Using loose, gestural lines to add depth to the image, Warhol maintains a hand-drawn element in Flowers (F. & S. II. 115) and directly alludes to the idea of the artist’s personal touch.
Throughout his career, Warhol revisited and renewed the traditional art historical genre of flower painting and in this series he employs a simplistic, illustrative style that is reminiscent of 19th century Japanese woodblock prints. His earlier Flower series’ from 1964 and 1970 are unmistakeably Pop in their brilliant, synthetic hues and erasure of the artist’s touch, however this later series is more illustrative in style, similar to the work of David Hockney and Alex Katz.
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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.
