Quadrant Mickey Mouse 1981

Here’s a screenprint by Andy Warhol, called Quadrant Mickey Mouse. Warhol’s art is all about repetition, right? But he doesn’t want it to be slick. Instead, he embraces the slight variations that occur in the printing process. Look closely, and you can see how some colors are laid down a little heavier than others. Take the black outline – in some places, it’s super sharp, almost like a stamp, while in others, it bleeds a little, softening the edges. It’s not perfect, but that’s the point. Warhol is interested in the process, in the accidental beauty that emerges when things aren’t quite right. This approach to artmaking makes me think of Agnes Martin, who also embraced imperfection. Ultimately, Warhol shows us that art doesn’t always have to be polished. Sometimes, it’s the imperfections that make it interesting.