Joseph Beuys State III (F. & S. II.244)
Joseph Beuys State III (F. & S. II.244)
Signed Print
Andy Warhol
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102 x 81cm, Edition of 150, Screenprint
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Meaning & Analysis
In Joseph Beuys State III (F. & S. II.244), Andy Warhol depicts the German performance artist Joseph Beuys in lemon yellow printed on a blue background. The signed screen print originates with a single polaroid photograph taken by Warhol when the two met for the first time in 1979. Beuys’ yellow eyes and hat dominate the composition in this brightly colored image from the series Joseph Beuys. However, Warhol’s limited use of contrast makes Beuys less recognizable.
The postwar artist Joseph Beuys (1921-1986) began his career as a sculptor before moving into performance art and happenings. He was particularly known for his interest in shamanism and spirituality. While these interests diverge from Warhol’s fascination with consumerism and celebrity, both artists recognized the importance of fashioning one’s own image. While they only met a handful of times, the two artists admired and respected each other’s work. Warhol’s Joseph Beuys series is a testament to the longstanding mutual respect between the two post-war artists.
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.
