Andy Warhol

Frayda Feldman and Jörg Schellmann, Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962-1987, New York, 2003, no. IIB.350, p. 198, another impression illustrated

1931 saw a historic merger of two of America’s up-and-coming oil companies when Vacuum Oil and Standard Oil joined forces to become Socony-Vacuum Corp. Together they formed the world’s third-largest oil corporation and trademarked the now globally recognised Mobiloil/Mobilgas brand name. Soon after, they patented the “Flying Red Horse” logo, and their regal Pegasus appeared in advertising nationwide, accompanied by the promise, “A new sign rises to guide America’s car owners to the gasoline and service they want.” The Flying Red Horse became a familiar sight to all Americans, and an inviting beacon to drivers, with its crimson wings outstretched over gas stations across the country.

Decades later, the ubiquitous Pegasus – by then one of the most recognized corporate symbols in history - was re-imagined by Andy Warhol as part of his 1985 Ads series. The Ads portfolio, which comprises ten screenprinted re-interpretations of leading advertising campaigns, elevates commonplace imagery into high art while also simultaneously criticising and playing to America’s materialism. As a former commercial illustrator, Warhol was fascinated by mass media and enjoyed manipulating the art world’s view of consumer goods. In the standard edition of the Ads series, the Mobilgas Pegasus was printed in its traditional primary red pigment, with electric yellow linework on the logo and Mobilgas name. The present impression, however, is a rare trial proof aside from the final edition and is one of only thirty impressions printed in a unique colourway. This distinctive blue and magenta Pegasus stands out against contrasting orange and yellow lettering, inviting viewers to re-consider the familiar logo and appreciate it in a new light. While Warhol chose a 1980’s-inspired neon colour palette for this subject, he looked to a vintage iteration of the Mobilgas placard, one of the shield-like metal signs which would have swung in the breeze along Route 66. By taking a piece of Americana and giving it the Warholian twist, the artist looked to both America’s past and future, paving the way for a new generation of creators in the commercial sphere.