Andy Warhol

New York, New York

1987

© 2019 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London

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Not on display

Artist: Andy Warhol 1928–1987
Medium: Screenprint on paper
Dimensions: Support: 564 x 444 mm
frame: 632 x 510 x 38 mm
Collection: ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland
Acquisition: ARTIST ROOMS Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008
Reference: AR00339

Online caption

Warhol had always been dissatisfied with his appearance and by the 1980s he had erected a complete façade, behind which to hide. His last self-portraits incorporate camouflage patterning, furthering this idea of hiding his true self. These portraits relate to Warhol’s series of photographs of him in his ‘fright wig’. His hair stands on end and his seemingly disembodied head, with blank eyes and slightly parted lips, bears similarities to his skull paintings. It is used here on a poster advertising 1987’s fourth annual copy of ‘Kunst und Kirche’ (Art and Church) - a German magazine for contemporary art and architecture which also explores religious and philosophical views. Warhol was a devout Catholic and his death early in 1987 aroused great interest in the press.