Fish 1983

Here we have Andy Warhol’s ‘Fish’, it’s hard to date exactly but was likely made with ink and screen printing. What I love about this piece is its focus on process. The way the ink is laid down, the slight mis-registrations between the layers, it's all about the act of making. Look closely at how the black ink creates this ghostly sheen across the bodies of the fish, and how it is juxtaposed with the raw canvas. There’s a wonderful tension between the mechanical reproduction and the handmade mark. Notice too, the crude white lines scraped around the edges of the fish, as if they are trying to contain the image, or perhaps to liberate it! Warhol’s work has always been about repetition, and you can see the influence of someone like Jasper Johns, with his interest in common objects. But Warhol takes it a step further, embracing the imperfections and accidents that come with the printing process. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be perfect. Sometimes, it's the flaws that make it interesting.