Flash 35 by Andy Warhol shows John F. Kennedy’s face emerging from a field of dense, saturated red. Warhol builds the portrait from halftone dots and ghosted duplicates, which hover like afterimages across the surface. Rectangular bands cut through the composition, hinting at television screens or clipped news bulletins. As a result, the print feels electric and disorienting. Yet Kennedy’s expression—confident and charismatic—remains at the center.
Flash 35 by Andy Warhol and the Flash Portfolio
Flash 35 comes from Warhol’s 1968 Flash portfolio, a series rooted in the media storm that followed Kennedy’s assassination. For instance, Warhol borrowed imagery from campaign ads, news photographs, and mass-distributed publicity stills. The portfolio’s title refers to the “news flashes” that interrupted television and radio broadcasts in November 1963. Moreover, these prints reflect Warhol’s belief that American culture processes tragedy through constant repetition. The Kennedy images—once symbols of vitality—became inseparable from the shock of national loss.
Warhol’s Commentary on Media and Memory
Warhol often observed how the media reshaped public emotion. After the assassination, he noticed how the steady stream of coverage made grief unavoidable. “No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t get away from the thing,” he said. Consequently, Flash 35 interrogates that saturation. Warhol reclaims the flood of “news flashes” by reprinting and distorting the very images that overwhelmed viewers. The red palette heightens the sense of alarm. Meanwhile, faded overlays suggest flashes of memory or broken transmissions. Even so, Kennedy’s smile persists, which complicates the viewer’s perception of tragedy and charisma.
Flash 35 in Warhol’s Larger Body of Work
Seen alongside Warhol’s other political portraits—such as Vote McGovern or his later images of Richard Nixon—Flash 35 reveals his interest in how media constructs authority, tragedy, and myth. Warhol understood Kennedy not only as a statesman but also as a cultural icon shaped by photography and television. As a result, the print offers both tribute and critique. Its layered red surface underscores the tension between public memory and the spectacle of news.
Photo credit: Undated headshot of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States. White House, Washington, DC, USA. Photo via CNP.
