ANDY WARHOL, KIMIKO (F. & S. II.237), SIGNED SCREEN PRINT, EDITION OF 250, 1981
Commissioned by John and Kimiko Powers to make the portrait, Kimiko (F. & S. II.237) is part of an edition of 250 prints that were published to raise funds for a visual arts programme at Colorado State University, sponsoring artists and exhibitions. The original commission was completed in 1972 and was used to advertise Warhol’s show at the University.
Warhol took polaroid of Kimiko in her apartment to create the portrait, asking her to then choose which she liked the best. Showing her dressed in a traditional kimono with her hair elegantly styled in a classic Japanese style, Warhol removes her from her surrounding context to transform her image into a Pop Art icon. Looking up to the viewer, she is cast into a colour field of sky blue that seeps into her clothing and lips. Her faced is rendered in a bright pink to contrast with the pop of blue in her lips, reminiscent of earlier portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.
Commissions such as these were in high demand due to Warhol’s world-wide reputation for making iconic Pop Art portraits of celebrities. John and Kimiko Powers had a large collection of Pop Art and this print is exemplary of Warhol’s belief that everybody deserves their moment of fame. “repetition adds up to reputation” reflecting both the power of the mass media and Warhol’s willingness to self-publicise.
Find out more by Kimiko Powers 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.
