Maria Shriver 1986

Andy Warhol made this portrait of Maria Shriver using screenprinting, and the high-key color choices are a great example of his famous Pop style. Look at how flat the picture is, and yet the colors vibrate! It's so simple, but the bright green background really makes her features pop. There is an area of darker green which outlines the left side of the face, it’s almost like a shadow, defining the shape of her face in a very economical way. The texture is smooth, and I bet it feels a bit like plastic to the touch. There's a kind of artifice, almost like looking at an ad, that Warhol loved to play with. The color palette is so reductive and yet the bright pink of her lips really makes them jump out. Think of Alex Katz's portraits – they’re similarly iconic, capturing a likeness with minimal detail, which is quite a talent. Ultimately, Warhol makes us question the lines between art, celebrity, and mass production, offering a kind of funhouse mirror reflection of our culture.