Camouflage (F. & S. II.411)
Camouflage (F. & S. II.411)
Signed Print
Andy Warhol
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Medium: Screenprint
Edition size: 80
Year: 1987
Size: H 38cm x W 38cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2024 | Bonhams Los Angeles | United States | |||
| June 2022 | Phillips London | United Kingdom |
Meaning & Analysis
As part of Andy Warhol’s final print series Camouflage (1987) published just before his death in the same year, Camouflage (F. & S. II.411) is one of the artist’s most fascinating prints. It shows an appropriated image of camouflage pattern that was commercially available at the time, coloured by Warhol in dark and light blue, dark green and cream. Warhol subverts the subject of pure abstraction, turning an appropriated camouflage pattern into a study of flamboyant colour and form that does not disguise or conceal.
The Camouflage series is made up of eight screen prints showing the commercial camouflage pattern, each coloured in a unique combination of vivid, flat colours. With a distinct lack of focal point, this print has an all-over composition much like the celebrated Abstract Expressionist paintings by figures like Jackson Pollock. Warhol deliberately subverts the grandeur of the Abstract Expressionists in his use of readily available, mundane patterns that he then repeats multiple times across the series.
Throughout his career, Warhol rallied against the ideals of ‘high art’ that were upheld by his predecessors in the Abstract Expressionist movement who insisted on the separation of art from everyday life. In this print, by appropriating already existing imagery to embody the principles of abstraction Warhol questioned traditional concepts of authorship, originality and reproduction. Stripping abstraction of all its traditional connotations of originality and freedom, Warhol successfully silences his critics and mocks Abstract Expressionism through the realm of Pop Art.
Andy Warhol was a leading figure of the Pop Art movement and is often considered the father of Pop Art. Born in 1928, Warhol allowed cultural references of the 20th century to drive his work. From the depiction of glamorous public figures, such as Marilyn Monroe, to the everyday Campbell’s Soup Can, the artist challenged what was considered art by blurring the boundaries between high art and mass consumerism. Warhol's preferred screen printing technique further reiterated his obsession with mass culture, enabling art to be seen as somewhat of a commodity through the reproduced images in multiple colour ways.
