Andy Warhol

‘The only picture they have is of Mao Zedong. It’s great. It looks like a silkscreen.’ Andy Warhol
The ‘Mao series’, created in 1972, is a testament to Warhol’s capacity to blend artistic ingenuity with cultural commentary. Warhol’s distinctive lens not only transforms a historical and influential portrait, but also our perception of art's relationship with propaganda, power and pop culture. Warhol’s Mao series is both a critique and a celebration of how images of power are commodified and circulated. Through his use of bold colour, repetition, and scale, Warhol transforms Mao’s image into an emblem of fame, aligning it with the Western cult of celebrity while commenting on the universal power of propaganda. The silkscreen process underscores the inescapable repetition of a propaganda machine whilst the gaudy colours and expressionistic touches elicit reflection on the dynamic between political power and the visual language of capitalist advertising in a consumer culture. Furthermore, the larger-than-life scale of each print reflects the grandiosity with which political figures are often portrayed and evokes the larger-than-life propaganda posters commonly used in China. Warhol’s application of this scale to Mao’s image is a satirical nod to the leader’s status and influence.