Andy Warhol (1928-1987). One Work, from Flowers, 1970. Screenprint in colors on wove paper. 38 x 38 inches (96.5 x 9...

Description

Andy Warhol (1928-1987)
One Work, from Flowers, 1970
Screenprint in colors on wove paper
38 x 38 inches (96.5 x 96.5 cm) (sheet)
An untrimmed proof aside from the edition of 250
Published by Factory Additions, New York
Printed by Aetna Silkscreen Products, Inc., New York

PROVENANCE:
Rupert Jasen Smith, New York;
Private collection, New York, acquired from the above.

LITERATURE:
Feldman & Schellmann, II.72.

Additional impressions of this work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and the Tate, London.

Warhol's Flowers are often described as effortless - bright, decorative, endlessly repeatable. They sit easily on the wall. They don't ask much of you. But these three impressions don't quite behave that way. They feel closer to the moment they were made, before the image learned how to be still.

They are proofs, pulled before the edition was fixed. Not signed, not numbered. There is no gesture here that says this is complete. Instead, there is a sense of something being tested, adjusted, looked at again. You can feel the pause in them - the space between intention and decision.

The paper tells part of the story. It hasn't been trimmed down into neat, obedient margins. It extends outward, a little excessive, a little unresolved. Along the edges, the residue of the key screen remains visible - those stray lines and marks that are usually removed, as if they were never meant to be seen. But here they are, quiet and factual. Evidence of alignment, of pressure, of the mechanics behind the image. You notice them the way you notice scaffolding left up just a little too long.

And then there is the color.

It is difficult to look at these without thinking about the ink itself - the way it must have moved across the screen, the way it settled into the paper. The hues feel immediate, almost excessively so. Hot pink that doesn't quite soften. Neon yellow that holds its edge. Verdant green that sits heavy and opaque. The surfaces have a kind of presence that suggests they have not drifted far from the table where they were printed. You could almost smell it, that sharp, chemical sweetness of fresh ink, still suspended in the air.

What remains, finally, is a sense of exploration of composition. The editioned Flowers resolve into something stable, something known. These do not quite resolve. They hold onto their edges, their excess, their small disclosures of process.

They ask you to look a little longer.

Not at the image itself, which is familiar enough, but at how it came into being - at the decisions that have not yet been sealed off, at the parts that were never meant to be part of the final picture. And in that, they feel less like objects that have arrived, and more like something you have come upon midstream, still carrying the conditions of their making.


More information about Andy Warhol. See also: Warhol, Andy, Andrew Warhol, Andrew Warhola Artist.



*Heritage Auctions strives to provide as much information as possible but encourages in-person inspection by bidders. Statements regarding the condition of objects are only for general guidance and should not be relied upon as complete statements of fact, and do not constitute a representation, warranty or assumption of liability by Heritage. Some condition issues may not be noted in the condition report but are apparent in the provided photos which are considered part of the condition report. Please note that we do not de-frame lots estimated at $1,000 or less and may not be able to provide additional details for lots valued under $500. Heritage does not guarantee the condition of frames and shall not be liable for any damage/scratches to frames, glass/acrylic coverings, original boxes, display accessories, or art that has slipped in frames. All lots are sold "AS IS" under the Terms & Conditions of Auction.