ANDY WARHOL 1931-1987
Paul Jenkins
, 1979
The tradition of portraiture in American art can he traced back to Colonial times,
when limners traveled throughout the East doing commissioned portraits of leading citizens
and their families. In this century, the Pop Art portraits of Andy Warhol have preserved
the images of leading contemporary figures; except that here, the artist has gone further,
extending the discourse to challenge notions of fame and identity in modern society.
Unlike traditional portraiture, Warhol relied exclusively on photography to capture the
image of his subject. Often using commercial photos from magazines and newspapers, he used
photomechanical reproduction techniques to enlarge and transfer the image onto a canvas.
The use of photo-silkscreen allowed Warhol to transfer single, double, or multiple images
onto the support, repeating the single photograph or series of views, again and again,
reiterating his theme and presenting his subject in new ways. He then painted strong
patches and banks of color to enliven the flat surface and to personalize the painting.
Warhol had painted portraits of pop media icons like Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor,
Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe, in addition to a number of self-portraits, in the 1960s;
but, it wasn't until 1972 that he devoted as much attention to portraiture. In
1979-80, the Whitney Museum of American Art mounted the exhibition, Andy Warhol: Portraits
of the 70s, which showed the immense output of work done by Warhol in this genre.
Portraits of well known art world and media celebrities filled the walls, earmarked by the
straightforward, candid photo image, highlighted with strong color areas-often with a
sense of being off-kilter-that gave added dimension to the flat, high-contrast
photography. Although wanting to capture the subject candidly, without comment or
judgment, through his masterful detachment and diffidence, Warhol, nevertheless, captured
the spirit of the time and the fleeting nature of fame in a modern, disposable society.
The portrait of painter Paul Jenkins is a wonderful example of the
process undertaken by Warhol to create a fully realized portrait. Taking into account the
painting style of his subject, Warhol used Jenkins's spontaneous brushwork as a backdrop
for the photographic image. The contrast between the stark black and white photo-image and
the painterly bands of color highlights the two disjunctive modes of representation at
work. This jarring portrait underscores the duality inherent in the painting as a portrait
of the man and as a portrait of the artist. Warhol simplified the subject's features,
creating a strong, iconic presence; he is a celebrity, and the Warhol portrait validates
this fact.
Paul Jenkins was originally one panel of a four panel portrait of the artist. This
panel shows Jenkins slightly recessed with large color areas silk-screened in a rainbow
effect giving subtle changes in coloration across the pictorial surface of the painting.
The graphic, silk-screened image and the freely applied acrylic paint do not mesh
together, but instead create a jarring, disjunctive visual field. A specific moment in
time has been captured, unemotional but dignified in presentation, offering a respectful
look at this painter without commentary and without apology. Carter Ratcliff states that
Warhol, "appropriates the image to leave it blunter, more stark." Warhol had
said on many occasions that what you see on the surface is all there is.
Warhol always strove to flatter his subjects. He sensed that this was an important aspect
of his engagement with them, and further verified his fascination with the banal nature of
celebrity and fame. A Warhol portrait is not only a portrait of the subject but also one
of the artist himself who, through his highly individual style and masterly manipulation
of the media, made a significant contribution to this genre, in which he documented the
leading figures of his day.