Sunset 88 (Unique) by Andy Warhol is a 1972 screenprint based off of several reels of sunset film shot in East Hampton, San Francisco and New York. This Sunset print mixes two shades in drastic variations as to provide the viewer with sublime satisfaction. The first tint has a reddish rosy hue masking a vanilla sky that cascades into a grey. However, unlike dull shades of grey, it is soothing, transitioning into a color one shade darker, but still maintaining its unexpected vibrance. Each print in the Sunset portfolio is completely unique, as they are all based on different stills from Warhol’s film, Sunset.
Sunset 88 (Unique) by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
The Sunset portfolio was produced in 1972 on smooth wove paper. This series is an extreme example of the concept of color serialization. The screen print was produced at an unheard of 472 unique color variations with the use of only three screens. The sunset series is considered to be one of Warhol’s more expressive projects he produced in his lifetime. The commission for the work was made by Johnson & Burgee, famed architects, to be installed in the rooms of the renovated Hotel Marquette in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After the prints were removed from the hotel, they were signed, numbered and stamped.
