Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987)
Van Heusen (RONALD REAGAN from Ads Portfolio- F&S.II- 1985)
Screenprint in colors on Lenox Museum Board with Blindstamp
Edition of 190
38 x 38 inches
Signed and numbered, lower right
Literature: Feldman & Schellmann catalogue raisonne, Ref# II.356
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Andy Warhol’s background in commercial illustration led to the creation of his 1985 “Ads Portfolio” featuring images such as a Chanel’s No. 5 perfume bottle, a Volkswagen’s Beetle, Paramount’s mountain logo, Life Savers’ ad and Macintosh’s Apple. Among these, was “Van Heusen” featuring actor (and later President) Ronald Reagan. Andy was not a traditionally political person, creating works from both Republicans and Democrats alike. However, by the end of 1984 the AIDS epidemic had affected at least 7,700 people, killing more than 3,500 in the United States alone. As president, Reagan did not publicly mention AIDS until September 1985, four years after the crisis began. Warhol, as a gay man, was keenly aware of Reagan’s lack of action on the issue and created a saccharine image of “Americana” reminding us that it was business as usual for much of the US.
Andy loved the juxtaposition of taking banal objects and elevating them to high art. A movie star-turned-leader of the free world, Ronald Reagan was the first POP president. Nothing could have been more “Warholian” than Reagan’s elevation to the top political office in the world. Which makes the Ads portfolio significant in its conventionality. Van Heusen was (and is) a popular formal clothing brand. Warhol’s saturated coloration and photographic negatives contrasting the image of Reagan’s face create a cohesive and engrossing advertisement which Andy elevated to high-art with the creation of this series.
“Business art is the step that comes after Art. I started as a commercial artist, and I want to finish as a business artist.” — Andy Warhol
