Flowers 70 (Flowers Portfolio)
Screen print on paper
91 x 91 cm
Not For Sale
Andy Warhol’s Flowers 70 (1970) is part of Andy Warhol’s Flowers portfolio. A bit of a departure from the heavily saturated colors Warhol is known for, Warhol’s Flowers 70 depicts its subject matter in washed out pinks, orange, blue, and yellow. A thin border of white around the flowers creates distance between them and the pink background. Despite the use of muted colors, Warhol’s Flowers 70 is a classic part of Andy Warhol’s Flowers portfolio, one of his most desired portfolios. Andy Warhol’s Flowers is based on a photo by Patricia Caulfield that appeared in the June 1970 issue of the magazine Popular Photography. The original image was cropped and the colors inverted before Warhol added washes of vibrant dyes to the flower petals by hand. The flowers depicted are hibiscus flowers, specifically the mandrinette. Flowers is often viewed as a departure from Warhol’s typical work, which is known for centering around celebrities and well-known brands. The original image was not particularly famous before his appropriation of it, and the floral subject matter is not particularly related to pop culture or commercialism. However, flowers are a subject that Warhol continually revisits in his ouevre. His work with advertisements are made powerful due to their contexts, but flowers are timeless. This is undoubtedly a reason why the Flowers series remains one of Warhol’s most popular portfolios.