Andy Warhol
Sidewalk, 1983 (FS.II.304, Eight by Eight)
1983

About the Item

Sidewalk (FS.II.304) from MOCA's 'Eight by Eight' portfolio is a screenprint on paper, 29 x 42 inches, signed 'Andy Warhol' and numbered 167/250 lower left. From the edition of 349 (there were also 30 AP, 45 TP, 3 TPPP, 6 PP, and 15 HC). Framed in a contemporary gold leaf, closed-corner frame. LITERATURE Frayda Feldman and Jörg Schellmann, Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962-1987, New York, 2003, II.304. In 1983, Warhol created Sidewalk for the Eight by Eight to Celebrate the Temporary Contemporary portfolio. The portfolio itself consisted of eight prints created by various artists as a fundraising vehicle for the MOCA in Los Angeles. The participating artists included: Richard Diebenkorn, Sam Francis, David Hockney, Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Rauschenberg, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, and Andy Warhol. The Eight By Eight portfolio was printed in an edition of 250. Warhol also produced 45 unique trial proofs for the Sidewalk edition. Warhol's contribution of Sidewalk is based on his own photograph of film stars' signatures, footprints, and handprints as they appeared at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, CA (now called TCL Chinese Theater). This particular shot showcases Cary Grant, Judy Garland, Jack Nicholson and Shirley Temple. “Much of Warhol’s work was concerned with celebrity, but while he cultivated the appearance of the ultimate fan, often celebrating the glamour of the American dream and its cultural heroes, his works also challenge the beliefs intrinsic to those ideals. It was Warhol who famously declared that everyone could have fifteen minutes of fame. The immortalising nature of appearing in Grauman’s forecourt of the stars, where one’s name is set in concrete for future generations, seems a way to counteract this idea of such fleeting fame.” (“Andy Warhol Sidewalk 1983.” Tate, 7 July 2022)

Creator:
Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987, American)
Creation Year:
1983
Dimensions:
Height: 38 in (96.52 cm)Width: 51 in (129.54 cm)
Medium:
Screen,Paper
Movement & Style:
Pop Art
Period:
20th Century
Condition:
generally excellent condition with soft corner edges.
Gallery Location:
Greenwich, CT
Reference Number:
Seller: GRWAR0304011stDibs: LU2664213755322
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Andy Warhol

The name of American artist Andy Warhol is all but synonymous with Pop art, the movement he helped shape in the 1960s. He was phenomenally prolific, and the archive of original photography, prints, drawings, paintings and other art that he left behind is beyond vast.

Andy Warhol is known for his clever appropriation of motifs and images from popular advertising and commercials, which he integrated into graphic, vibrant works that utilized mass-production technologies such as printmaking, photography and silkscreening. Later in his career, Warhol expanded his oeuvre to include other forms of media, founding Interview magazine and producing fashion shoots and films on-site at the Factory, his world-famous studio in New York.

Born and educated in in Pittsburgh, Warhol moved to New York City in 1949 and built a successful career as a commercial illustrator. Although he made whimsical drawings as a hobby during these years, his career as a fine artist began in the mid-1950s with ink-blot drawings and hand-drawn silkscreens. The 1955 lithograph You Can Lead a Shoe to Water illustrates how he incorporated in his artwork advertising styles and techniques, in this case shoe commercials.

As a child, Warhol was often sick and spent much of his time in bed, where he would make sketches and put together collections of movie-star photographs. He described this period as formative in terms of his skills and interests. Indeed, Warhol remained obsessed with celebrities throughout his career, often producing series devoted to a famous face or an object from the popular culture, such as Chairman Mao or Campbell’s tomato soup. The 1967 silkscreen Marilyn 25 embodies his love of bright color and famous subjects.

Warhol was a prominent cultural figure in New York during the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. The Factory was a gathering place for the era’s celebrities, writers, drag queens and fellow artists, and collaboration was common. To this day, Warhol remains one of the most important artists of the 20th century and continues to exert influence on contemporary creators.

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