Andy Warhol

Russell Means

1976

© 2021 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by DACS, London

License this image

Not on display

Artist: Andy Warhol 1928–1987
Medium: Lithograph on paper
Dimensions: Support: 1260 × 889 mm
frame: 1365 × 990 × 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: AR00421

Online caption

This poster features a screenprinted portrait of the first director of the American Indian Movement, Russell Means. Best known for his activities in promoting the rights of American Indians in the 1970s, he gained wide recognition in 1973 for leading the takeover of the South Dakota town of Wounded Knee. This was symbolic, as it was at the centre of a massacre of the Sioux (Native Americans) by the U.S. Army in 1890. The early 1970s saw Warhol paint both people he admired, such as Means, and commissioned portraits of the rich and famous. Although he depicts Means in traditional dress - an acknowledgement of his roots - it has been noted that the ‘Pop’ treatment trivialises to some degree the significance of Means’s activities and the importance of his objectives.