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拍品专文
"Once you thought Pop, you could never see America the same way ever again" (Andy Warhol, quoted in A. Warhol and P. Hackett, POPism: the Warhol sixties, 1980, p. 22).
In 1981, Warhol created a series he called the Myths or New Myths, in which he selected ten American mythical figures from the realm of popular culture, television, comic books and film. Warhols selection process was incredibly rigorous, but eventually he narrowed his scope to ten essential characters, the most resonating of which evoke a post-war America in its youth and the consumerism that drove its growth. These American icons -- Superman, Mickey Mouse and Howdy Doody -- are so beloved that they have become indelibly etched into the American psyche. An obvious choice, the Howdy Doody character is synonymous with American popular culture, as immediately recognizable as Campbells Soup or Coca-Cola.
A pioneer in childrens programming, the Howdy Doody show ran on NBC from 1947 to 1960. Because it was broadcast in color, NBC (then owned by RCA) used the show in part to sell color television sets. Like Mickey Mouse, the Howdy Doody character became a powerful marketing tool. In 1955, a merchandise catalog listed 24 pages of officially-licensed Hoody Doody products. In the present work, Warhol exaggerates the characters most iconic features; the mouth is rendered in an upturned, clownlike smile and overlaid with tracing that adds a three-dimensional quality to the two dimensional character. This technique (also used in Superman) causes the outlines to reverberate, much like a cartoonist draws around a figure to suggest movement.
Measuring 60 x 60 inches (the largest size of the series), Warhol's Howdy Doody truly engulfs the viewer in its monumental scale. Indeed, Warhol understood that modern myths were made on television. As he did in the 1960s with Elvis, Marilyn and Liz, Warhol elevates his subjects status in American culture to mythic proportions by literally enlarging his subjects. The owner of the original Howdy Doody puppet brought it to Warhols studio and allowed the artist to photograph it from multiple angles. As Warhol later found out, this was one of three original puppets used in filming the show. With Howdy Doody, Warhol christens a modern canon of new saints and archetypes, ones culled from popular culture and elevated to the realm of high art.
In 1981, Warhol created a series he called the Myths or New Myths, in which he selected ten American mythical figures from the realm of popular culture, television, comic books and film. Warhols selection process was incredibly rigorous, but eventually he narrowed his scope to ten essential characters, the most resonating of which evoke a post-war America in its youth and the consumerism that drove its growth. These American icons -- Superman, Mickey Mouse and Howdy Doody -- are so beloved that they have become indelibly etched into the American psyche. An obvious choice, the Howdy Doody character is synonymous with American popular culture, as immediately recognizable as Campbells Soup or Coca-Cola.
A pioneer in childrens programming, the Howdy Doody show ran on NBC from 1947 to 1960. Because it was broadcast in color, NBC (then owned by RCA) used the show in part to sell color television sets. Like Mickey Mouse, the Howdy Doody character became a powerful marketing tool. In 1955, a merchandise catalog listed 24 pages of officially-licensed Hoody Doody products. In the present work, Warhol exaggerates the characters most iconic features; the mouth is rendered in an upturned, clownlike smile and overlaid with tracing that adds a three-dimensional quality to the two dimensional character. This technique (also used in Superman) causes the outlines to reverberate, much like a cartoonist draws around a figure to suggest movement.
Measuring 60 x 60 inches (the largest size of the series), Warhol's Howdy Doody truly engulfs the viewer in its monumental scale. Indeed, Warhol understood that modern myths were made on television. As he did in the 1960s with Elvis, Marilyn and Liz, Warhol elevates his subjects status in American culture to mythic proportions by literally enlarging his subjects. The owner of the original Howdy Doody puppet brought it to Warhols studio and allowed the artist to photograph it from multiple angles. As Warhol later found out, this was one of three original puppets used in filming the show. With Howdy Doody, Warhol christens a modern canon of new saints and archetypes, ones culled from popular culture and elevated to the realm of high art.