Self Portrait 1986

This is Andy Warhol’s self portrait, made using screen printing - a medium he used to great effect. He’s overlaid a camouflage pattern onto his own image. The colour palette is brash, almost sickly, with the clashing yellows, blues, and greens. There’s a tension between the mechanical process of screen printing and the idea of making a portrait, which feels very Warhol. Look at the way the camo pattern flattens his features, turning him into a kind of mask. Is he hiding or revealing himself? The black background really makes those colours pop, but it also feels like a void, like he’s disappearing into the darkness. It's interesting to think of Warhol in relation to someone like Francis Picabia, who also used mechanical means and readymade images in his paintings, to question the role of the artist. Ultimately, it's up to us to decide what to make of it.