Throughout his career, Andy Warhol was intrigued by the possibilities of using new visual technologies to create art. Having moved to New York City in 1949, Warhol was not attracted to Abstract Expressionism, the artistic movement then in vogue. Instead, he gravitated toward an art that favored representational forms and mechanical techniques. His appropriation of subjects from popular and consumer culture and his pioneering work with photographic silkscreens, filmmaking, and video challenged traditional categories of art-making. Warhol was also interested in cultivating and experimenting with his artistic persona. This Polaroid self-portrait combines his fascination with new forms of image-making and his desire to explore the subtle nuances of his identity.

Self-portrait
Facsimile of Polacolor print, 1979
Published March 1992
The Andy Warhol Museum; Founding Collection, contribution of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
©2002 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts / Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York

*Reproduction, including the downloading of this image, is prohibited by copyright laws and international conventions without the express written permission of Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.