Andy Warhol

see Feldman & Schellmann II.384

Created for the 1986 Cowboys and Indians series, Andy Warhol’s vibrant Geronimo screenprint is derived from an 1887 black and white photograph taken by Ben Wittick, who documented early America’s frontiers. Together the ten prints that complete Warhol’s Cowboys and Indians portfolio, which includes figures such as John Wayne, Annie Oakley, and Theodore Roosevelt, examine the romanticisation of the American West and the ways in which history, the cult of celebrity and popular culture become entwined. 

One of the strongest portraits of the series, Geronimo honours the Apache leader and medicine man who valiantly led resistance efforts against the American and Mexican forces who encroached on tribal lands. Warhol chose to crop Wittick’s original image of the legendary Apache leader so that his watchful gaze would become the focal point. In typical Warholian fashion, though, the artist created playful contrast by embellishing the serious portrait with vivid inks and neon line work. The present impression, a trial proof in a unique colourway, is comprised of relatively muted, natural earth tones compared to its yellow and orange-hued counterparts that make up the standard edition. The background on this impression is distinct from the standard edition as it is punctuated by a series of dots that recall the Ben Day pattern seen in early mechanical printing. This clever nod to mass production and consumer culture further encourages viewers to consider how their notions of historic events and figures might be distorted by their contemporary lens.