Flowers 71 (Flowers Portfolio)
91 x 91 cm
Not For Sale
Andy Warhol’s Flowers 71, 1970 is part of Andy Warhol’s Flowers portfolio. The interactions between the primary colors are the main focus of this work—scarlet and yellow flowers are juxtaposed with bright cyan leaves. The inclusion of a jewel-toned purple flower disrupts this color scheme and adds an element of interest. Saturated color, as is typical of Warhol’s practice, is a prominent aspect of this work, exaggerating the unexpected color pairings. Warhol’s Flowers 71 is a beautiful piece of art from Andy Warhol’s Flowers portfolio. Andy Warhol’s Flowers is based on a photo by Patricia Caulfield that appeared in the June 1971 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.