1977
Medium: Screenprint
Sheet size: 30 x 40 inches
Frame size: 32 1/4 x 42 3/8 inches
Printer: Rupert Jasen Smith, New York
Publisher: Andy Warhol Enterprises, Inc., New York
Edition size: Unique trial proof on green paper, ed. 50, plus proofs
Catalogue Raisonné: F&S II.164
More info
Andy Warhol (1928-1987) produced his iconic “Hammer and Sickle” series in 1976 after a trip to Italy where he found the symbol commonly graffitied in public spaces. Inspired by the graffitied symbol, Warhol returned to New York and incorporated the image into a new series of works in various media. The “Hammer and Sickle” series was first exhibited at New York’s Leo Castelli Gallery in 1977. The show’s title, Still Lifes, captured the irony of Warhol’s work and aligned with his carefully crafted public persona, implying that the heavily-charged symbolic objects could just as easily be swapped for a bowl of fruits or a bouquet of flowers.
Warhol disavowed any political ties to his work, though he was acutely aware of the symbol’s influence during the then cultural climate of the Cold War. He was closely monitored by the FBI and added to many watch lists.
This impression is a very rare trial proof on green wove paper, one of a few impressions printed on this paper.
