Andy Warhol Endangered Species

In 1983, Andy Warhol parlayed his lifelong interest in animals into a series of ten screenprints he called “Endangered Species.” The portfolio was produced at the behest of a pair of New York art dealers, Ronald and Frayda Feldman, who became interested in the idea of such a project in the wake of their numerous conversations with Warhol concerning ecological issues such as beach erosion.  The brightly colored prints with their vigorous, erratic linear delineation—“animals in make-up,” as Warhol described them—depict animals such as a giant panda, a Grevy’s zebra, a bald eagle, and a Siberian tiger, all envisioned majestically and yet betraying a poignant resignation to their fate.

Here, Andy Warhol brought his distinctive Pop sensibility and style to bear on a resonant subject, suffusing each of the portfolio’s ten plates with vivid color and using his characteristic linear reiteration to imbue them with power and energy. Warhol contrasted this dynamism with the natural grace and humble pride of his animal subjects.

Each “Endangered Species” screenprint is 38 by 38” unframed, and was printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York.

 

 

Back to the artwork