Postmodern Art in Andy Warhol´s Silvier Liz as Cleopatra

The earliest forms of art had made it’s mark in history for being an influential and unique representation of various cultures and religions as well as playing a fundamental role in society. However, with the new era of postmodernism, art slowly deviated away from both the religious context it was originally created in, and apart from serving as a ritual function. Walter Benjamin, a German literary critic and philosopher during the 1900’s, strongly believed that the mass production of pieces has freed art from the boundaries of tradition, â€Å"For the first time in world history, mechanical reproduction emancipates the work of art from its parasitical dependance on ritual† (Benjamin 1992). This particular excerpt has a direct correlation with†¦show more content†¦America’s infatuation with labels was a relatively new trend in postmodern society. Andy Warhol’s â€Å"Silver Liz as Cleopatra† as well as his other pieces impacted socie tal views on modern art in relationship to value. Warhol had a strong belief that the loss of something in replicating an image was over powered by something of new value being created. Andy Warhol was specifically intrigued by Elizabeth Taylor which was made obvious due to the fact she had made more than one appearance as the subject for his art pieces. In â€Å"Silver Liz as Cleopatra† the same image of Elizabeth Taylor is presented in monochromatic tones of black and white fifteen times. Warhol has illustrated the actress as dressed in traditional ancient Egyptian costume with her alluring gaze guided away from the audience. Her trademark jet black hair is painted, and her makeup is applied in a dramatic fashion. The overall art piece portrays the actress in snapshots from her movie where she is the lead role thus stressing her fame on the silver screen. Through mass production, Andy Warhol has made Elizabeth Taylor and her role as C leopatra a permanent and important component of art history. â€Å"Silver Liz as Cleopatra† is a fundamental example of merging fine and commercial art. Andy Warhol’s obsession with 1960‘s pop culture allowed him the means to appeal to