ANDY WARHOL VOTE MCGOVERN

Vote McGovern by Andy Warhol was created for the George McGovern Presidential campaign in 1972.  Andy Warhol’s ghoulish depiction of Richard Nixon with blue skin and orange eyes leaves no doubt as to the artist’s political position, even without the graffiti scrawl on the bottom stating “Vote McGovern.” 

The photograph that the print is based on was taken from a photograph of Richard Nixon and his wife, Pat Nixon, on the cover of Newsweek. The colors used to dye Richard Nixon's face were based on the colors of the dress Pat Nixon was wearing in the photo. 

Art critic Jonathan Jones said "Nixon's face is acidic green, colliding shockingly with an orange background, almost like classical Indian art in its chromatic intensity. It captures the way Nixon in the flesh looked like a cartoon, his head too big for his body. But that's all in the way of satire." In 2016, the print was featured in a printmaking exhibition at the British Museum.

It was Andy Warhol's first political poster and has been described as his "most overtly political work". Andy Warhol probably doesn’t strike most people as an engaged political figure, but from his student days on he was involved with left-wing ideas. Aside from trying to take down Nixon, he quietly supported any number of progressive causes; his archives are full of their thank-you notes.

Vote McGovern (1972) by Andy Warhol is an original screen print on Arches 88 paper. Vote McGovern is referenced in Feldman II.84 and is hand signed in pencil on verso. Vote McGovern is an edition of 250. For more information about Andy Warhol or if you are interested in purchasing Vote McGovern, please contact the gallery. Call for Value