Dollar Sign Quad (F. & S. II.282)
Dollar Sign Quad (F. & S. II.282)
Signed Print
Andy Warhol
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102 x 81cm, Edition of 35, Screenprint
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Meaning & Analysis
Printed in 1982, Dollar Sign (F. & S. II. 282) is a signed screen print in colour by Andy Warhol. The print depicts four dollar signs in a grid formation, each rendered in a unique colour composition against a bold red background. The dollar signs are layered with hand-drawn lines and shading, bringing texture and vibrancy to the print.
Dollar Sign Quad (F. & S. II. 282) is part of the Dollar Sign series. This series takes the US currency as its inspiration implicitly referring to the importance American society places on this symbol which has not only come to represent money and wealth but also power and glamour. Produced during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the series reflects the commercial and material boom that marked America during the Reagan era. The series demonstrates Warhol’s ability to identify a zeitgeist and seize it for his artistic endeavours.
The print captures Warhol’s gestural and expressive technique that came to characterise much of his later work, such as the Endangered Species and Cowboys and Indians series. This series also differs from others because Warhol chose to draw the dollar sign symbol from scratch, as opposed to appropriating a pre-existing image, commonplace amongst his other prints. The print demonstrates Warhol’s creative skill and excellent draughtsmanship, indeed, it took Warhol numerous attempts to get the perfect sign that was fit for this series. Warhol’s ingenious use of colour in this print transforms the everyday symbol of currency into a stylish 20th century icon of Pop Art.
Andy Warhol was a leading figure of the Pop Art movement and is often considered the father of Pop Art. Born in 1928, Warhol allowed cultural references of the 20th century to drive his work. From the depiction of glamorous public figures, such as Marilyn Monroe, to the everyday Campbell’s Soup Can, the artist challenged what was considered art by blurring the boundaries between high art and mass consumerism. Warhol's preferred screen printing technique further reiterated his obsession with mass culture, enabling art to be seen as somewhat of a commodity through the reproduced images in multiple colour ways.
