While Andy Warhol’s portraits of celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor and his iconic Soup Can series are among the most recognizable works of the Pop art movement, a lesser-known chapter of his artistic journey offers critical insights into the foundation of his style. Warhol’s “blotted line” drawings from the 1950s—works that combine drawing and printmaking—demonstrate an early penchant for experimentation and foreshadow the bold graphic language that would later make him a household name.
Long-Sharp Gallery’s newest online show brings together a curated selection of Warhol’s blotted line drawings in “Warhol’s 1950s Printmaking: The Blotted Line,” with works also on view in-person at the Conrad Indianapolis. Featuring various motifs, from florals to figuration, the collection of works on paper bring to life not only the singular method he developed, but a better understanding of the themes and motifs that would ultimately mark the rest of his career.
Timed to the show, we reached out to gallery owner Rhonda Long-Sharp to learn more about the works included in the show and what she thinks is the ongoing appeal of Warhol with contemporary audiences.
Rhonda Long-Sharp (left) with Nicole ML Sharp (right). Courtesy of Long-Sharp Gallery, Indianapolis.
With the gallery’s exhibition “Warhol’s 1950s Printmaking: The Blotted Line” now on view, can you tell us a bit about the selection of works included in the show and what went into bringing these artworks together?
The works selected for inclusion in the exhibition are all two-sheet examples of Warhol’s blotted line technique. That is, these are sheets that Warhol adhered together and then actually used his blotted line technique to make the second impression. Each of these drawings was kept by Warhol after they were created (each has a provenance of his Estate).
Our gallery is always on the lookout for Warhol works on paper. We bought our first blotted line drawing almost two decades ago and have continued to acquire them since.
What is the significance of Warhol’s “blotted line” drawings either within his own practice or the development of contemporary art itself?
Blotted line drawings combine basic printmaking and ink drawing. This is a precursor to Warhol’s printmaking begun in the 1960s.
Andy Warhol, Roses (ca. 1956). Courtesy of Long-Sharp Gallery.
Do you have a favorite piece in the show, or one that you find the most intriguing?
I like them all (I bought them all). My personal favorite is probably the one of the blotted line drawing featuring flowers, Roses (ca. 1956), for example, because of the stories I’ve read about Warhol’s upbringing as regards flowers. Warhol’s mother used to make flowers out of metal soup cans and sell them door-to-door, supposedly while Andy and his brothers waited and watched from the bushes. According to Andy’s brother John, Warhol planted a little flower bed outside of the family’s home and one could find Andy there sketching flowers regularly. Even in his first decade in New York, according to friend Charles Lisanby, Warhol would visit local flower markets and select ones to sketch. Of course, Warhol is best known for the flower silkscreens he created for his 1964 exhibit at Leo Castelli’s gallery—but these were not the beginning. The blotted line flower drawings are a precursor to all of it (printmaking and flowers).
While Warhol is of course one of most famous artists in the world, is there something about either him or his work that you think people should know and might not?
There are so many answers to this question. One that stands out to me is about what Warhol accomplished as a person and what he overcame along his journey. Warhol was the son of immigrants, a sickly child who grew up without many material advantages. He lacked confidence in his physical appearance. He underwent prejudice and discrimination for being gay (it was literally a crime). His church did not recognize him because of this. And yet, this man transformed the world. We know his creations on sight. Today, his foundation continues to support the visual arts. The Andy Warhol Museum does amazing work in Pittsburgh. And all of this is because this one small child overcame his obstacles.
Andy Warhol, In the Bottom of My Garden Study Drawing (ca. 1955). Courtesy of Long-Sharp Gallery.
As Long-Sharp Gallery specializes in works on paper, multiples, and drawings, what do you think makes Warhol’s continue to standout even after all this time?
I think about this a lot. The exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, “Americans” (1963)—which is considered by many as the birth of pop art in America—did not include a single work by Andy Warhol. Indeed, he attended the opening as a guest of Robert Indiana. That sounds almost impossible, right? But around this time, people saw his work and saw something in him. These were important people of the time. Think Leo Castelli, Henry Geldzahler, among many other greats. That is a late but auspicious beginning.
Warhol was prolific, and he created across disciplines (fine art, film, magazine, television and more). His visual art spoke to the common person (soup cans). The man had many talents, and one was business.
And, in my opinion, the work is simply good. It speaks to the time. It speaks to almost everyone.
What would you like viewers of the exhibition to take away with them, or, alternatively, what types of dialogues do you hope to inspire around this body of work?
Warhol has reached international fame and owns a place in history. These drawings are part of that history. They capture a moment when the soon-to-be-crowned King of Pop art was finding his way into the history books and show the importance of his every labor in that process.
“Warhol’s 1950s Printmaking: The Blotted Line” is on view with Long-Sharp Gallery.
