Green Marilyn 1962

Here we have one of Andy Warhol's "Green Marilyn" screenprints; its exact date isn't known, but it exemplifies his exploration of pop culture icons. The flat, bold colors and graphic quality speak to a process that embraces repetition and reproduction. Look closely and you'll notice how the green background creates this almost sickly, surreal vibe against the vibrant yellow hair, the lavender skin, and those wild, turquoise eyelids. Warhol doesn't try to blend anything seamlessly; instead, he lays down colors in blocks, letting each hue assert itself. There’s something unsettling in the registration of color, with some colours bleeding out of the stark outlines. It’s a pretty far cry from traditional portraiture. I mean, the way Warhol throws these colors together feels almost punk. He takes something familiar, the image of Marilyn, and messes with it, questions it. And, like, that’s painting: it’s not about perfection, it’s about experimentation and seeing what happens when you push things a little, or a lot. Think of other artists like Elizabeth Peyton who also use pop icons to test the boundaries between painting and celebrity culture.