Description

Artist: Andy Warhol

Title: Cow series , 2.11, 1966 (F&S.II.11)

Medium: Screenprint on wallpaper

Size: 45 1/2 x 29 3/4 inches

Signed: Authenticated

The Creation of Andy Warhol’s Cow Series

The whimsical series came to fruition under the guidance of Pop art dealer Ivan Karp and printmaker Gerard Malanga. This series is one of the first edition print series Andy Warhol created. In 1966, he deliberately took a stand against traditional painting, boldly claiming painting was “dead” and that he was at the forefront of creating a new art form. He entered into printmaking by establishing his company, Factory Additions. The project commenced when Karp told Warhol “Why don’t you paint some cows, they’re so wonderfully pastoral and such a durable image in the history of the arts.” Printer Gerard Malanga subsequently chose the photograph which was then given to Warhol.  The resulting screenprints were of vividly coloured images of cows against equally dramatic backgrounds. Interestingly, all the screenprints were printed on wallpaper, lending them a decorative quality.

Screenprints from the Cow Series

The four screenprints from this series transcended expectations of printmaking and artistic practice. They were created from 1966 – 1976.