Andy Warhol - Space Fruit: Oranges (FS II.197) (Unique)

Space Fruit: Oranges 197 (Unique) by Andy Warhol

Like that of the Grapes series and Space Fruit: Lemons, Space Fruit: Oranges showcases Warhol’s signature techniques of screenprinting. During the 70s, Warhol began relying on shadowing and hand drawn lines more heavily in his still life portraits. Warhol adds color to the oranges in pairs; two in orange, two in the screen of the teal color block, and the last pair in simple black and white. With this, he adds more shadowing than seen in the Grapes and Space Fruit: Lemons. By adding a modern touch to his screenprints of conventional objects, Warhol guided his audience to notice the overlooked materials in daily life.

Andy Warhol created his Space Fruit portfolios in 1978, which derives from the traditional practice of the still life portrait. This type of representation, in which the artist depicts typically inanimate objects relating to everyday life (i.e. fruit, silverware, flowers, and insects). This artistic tradition traces its origins to ancient Greek and Roman art, but gained prominence in the fifteenth century in Northern Europe. Warhol alludes to this tradition with his portfolio of Space Fruit, a more classical subject-matter that illustrates Warhol’s knowledge of the history upon which his artwork was founded.