Andy Warhol
(c)image: Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven / Peter Cox
Back in 1972, the portrait of Mao appeared very often in the media due to the political situation between America and China. The phenomenon Mao fascinated Warhol and, despite all the negative coverage about communist China, Mao became a symbol of absolute political and cultural power.
Warhol makes him then even more popular with his screen-print series, which at the same time removes his aura of untouchable greatness. Would you like a yellow, red or blue Mao? On a green, pink or peach background? The coloured areas appear to have been printed in a hurry and do not always match, causing overlaps at times. All of that leads to a – literal and figurative – flattening of the image. Coca-cola bottles or electrical chair, seductive film star or terrifying political leader, Warhol treats them all in the same way, as products reflecting our society.