William John Kennedy’s "Colour experiment," made in 2024, explores the use of overlaid screen-printing techniques. These prints are built up in layers of color and images, which, in this case, appear to overlay two portraits on top of each other. The artist chose to combine a black and white photograph of Andy Warhol with a portrait of Marilyn Monroe, applying vivid greens and yellows to the eyes, bright pink to the lips, and bold blue for the hair, to create an unexpected aesthetic. The process of screen printing itself is key here. It's a technique readily adaptable to mass production, yet in Kennedy's hands, it yields a complex, almost painterly effect. The layering creates texture, depth, and a sense of movement across the surface. Ultimately, Kennedy blurs the lines between photography, printmaking, and painting, inviting us to reconsider the value we place on different modes of production. It’s a great reminder that how something is made is just as important as what it depicts.
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