Shadows II 211 by Andy Warhol is a print from the Shadows II portfolio. This print is composed of yellow and dark blue colors (though some iterations may be closer to black) which manipulate a photograph Warhol made of a shadow in his studio. The work is part of the artist’s original 102-piece Shadows series, which includes images from all of the Shadows print portfolios. Warhol published Shadows II 211 under his own name in 1979 in collaboration with his “master” printer, Rupert Jasen Smith. The Shadows series was exhibited that same year at the Heiner Friedrich gallery in New York City.
This series is different than all other Warhol print editions: every single print is unique in color, and the portfolios are often presented, assembled, and sold in varying combinations. Warhol never left instructions on how to hang them or which order they belong in, and the physical pieces are not numbered. Perhaps leaving room for play, Warhol allowed viewers to have a new experience each time the panels are installed. This idea evokes a new concept, which is not seen in any of Warhol’s other works, as most of his pieces, although organized into portfolios, can stand alone as a complete work.
Speaking about Shadows, Warhol said, “Someone asked me if I thought they were art and I said no…disco décor.” According to previous MOCA director Philippe Vergne, Warhol said he dreamed of having the Shadows works installed in Studio 54. Playing on this idea, it seemed that Warhol felt as if this series was reminiscent of wallpaper more so than high art, which was exemplified when he later staged a fashion shoot with his Shadows series as the backdrop. By adding diamond dust to the prints Warhol gave them a sparkly effect, making them all the more suitable to adorn the walls at a disco night club.
Shadows II 211 was created in the last decade of Warhol’s life, and he never witnessed all 102 of the Shadows together. The piece speaks to the artist’s wide range of artistic interests and the expansion of his subject matter toward the end of his career. Warhol was always very interested in repetition in his series, but also aimed to maintain a sense of uniqueness in each piece. This is especially evident in his Shadow series as each print has a very similar composition, yet they remain different from one another and are best appreciated when displayed in unison.
Photo credits:
- Arthur Tress, Andy Warhol, 1979. Image: © Arthur Tress, © Courtesy Dia Art Foundation, New York, Artwork © 2021 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
- Warhol priming Shadow paintings, 1979. Image and Artwork: © 2021 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
