Ethan Cecchetti: Andy Warhol

When I signed up for Andy Warhol I was debating whether to do someone less known because it would be more interesting, but then I realized there's a reason Andy Warhol is so popular: his artwork is extremely interesting. For example, let's take a look at ten of his prints of Mao Zedong next to each other.



These prints and others like them may be among the most famous pieces of artwork created in the last 50 years. Part of that popularity and fame is because they're different. Warhol portrays an extremely well-known figure in a new way. He does it several times in very odd ways.

However, I believe there is another level to the art. By showing a single figure in an identical (and common) pose in different colors, Warhol gives us something different. We look at each print differently and it's almost as if we see different sides of the person. Each individual color scheme gives us a different feeling than the other ones and evokes different emotions. It's almost as if we're reacting to entirely separate sides of the person being depicted.

The fact that the figure being portrayed is an extremely well-known figure is also important. The public perception of famous people is usually based upon the front that they put out to the public. This fact is especially true of people like Mao. Yet with this series of images, Warhol is telling us that there is more to this man than just the side that he puts out publicly. There is more than the just the commonly seen colors.

These ideas are not in any way unique to this particular piece of artwork. Most (if not all) of Warhol's artwork is designed to make us rethink regular things we see in our everyday life. Another incredibly famous example is his can of Campbell's Tomato Soup (though that achieve this goal in a slightly different way). To anyone who hasn't looked at Warhol's art and thought about it for a little while, I encourage you to do so.