Andy Warhol - Camouflage (Trial Proof) Screen Print

Original Camouflage Print by Andy Warhol

Camouflage (Trial Proof) cannot camouflage its greatness. This screenprint stems from Andy Warhol’s Camouflage Portfolio, the last series created before his untimely passing. As a trial proof, the vibrant piece never made the cut to be considered as part of the final collection, enhancing the rarity of the one-of-a-kind design. Camouflage was born when Jay Shriver, Warhol’s artistic assistant, invited Warhol to join him in exploring a new technique: painting through fabric. Acquiring an authentic camo print from a military surplus store, a marriage of a familiar pattern and intoxicating pigmentation was consummated, expanding Warhol’s relationship with abstract expressionism. While camouflage traditionally represents the necessity to blend in, the artist’s version vibrates with color, likening itself to a runway print more than a uniform. In fact, Warhol’s ventures in camouflage extended directly to the fashion world in collaboration with designer Stephen Sprouse and their barrier-breaking work paved the way for camouflage of all colors to be flaunted as streetwear today.

Before his passing, Warhol did leave behind a completed Camouflage collection consisting of eight transfer paintings, but without signing and printing his works. To lay the brilliance of the iconic artist’s final endeavor to rest, Rupert Jasen Smith printed the series, now bearing the name and stamp of authenticity of the executor of The Estate of Andy Warhol. Not without melancholy, Camouflage (Trial Proof) serves as a reminder of the utter uniqueness of Andy Warhol to the very end.