Andy Warhol’s print, Eric Emerson (Chelsea Girls) 287,features the American musician, dancer, and actor who is most well known for his roles in Warhol’s films. In addition to Chelsea Girls, Emerson starred in Warhol’s Andy Makes a Movie and The Velvet Underground Tarot Cards. Additionally, Emerson is known for being a member of a glam punk group called The Magic Tramps. Emerson’s bisexuality was well established in Warhol’s circle, and he had many relationships with various members of The Factory. This screenprint features frames from Warhol’s widely accoladed 1966 film, Chelsea Girls. This particular piece demonstrates Warhol’s interest with the lighting manipulation and his characteristic employment of repetition.
Eric Emerson (Chelsea Girls) 287 by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
Chelsea Girls 287 was published in A Portfolio of Thirteen Prints, which contains works by thirteen artists to commemorate the conversion of New York City’s Second Avenue Court House into the new home of Anthology Film Archives. This became the first museum that was dedicated to avant-garde film and video. The print bears a strong resemblance to some of Warhol’s other pieces from 1982, including Watercolor Paint Kit With Brushes and Committee 2000. Each of the prints uses pastel hues and abstract outlines that evoke a sense of still life.
Photo credit: Andy Warhol with Eric Emerson and others. Cecil Beaton, Courtesy Sotheby’s Picture Library, Cecil Beaton Studio Archive, c. 1969.
