Andy WARHOL - Ladies and Gentlemen, Orange (FS II.133)

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN 133

Ladies and Gentlemen 133 by Andy Warhol is part of his Ladies and Gentlemen series that tackled the socio-political issues of cross-dressers. This print features a photo portrait and is transposed by blocks of color, emphasizing the glamorous and eccentric nature of crossdressing men and women.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN 133 AS PART OF ANDY WARHOL’S LARGER BODY OF WORK

The Ladies and Gentlemen series is comprised of portraits of cross-dressers from a New York City night club called The Gilded Grape. Warhol took the cross-dressers’ portrait with a Polaroid Big Shot camera and then transferred the image onto silk screen. This was the same process he used on celebrities and other famous figures. Warhol told the cross-dressers to dress and pose however they wished. None of the subjects are famous but Warhol brings out the style and glamour in each portrait. The inspiration for the series came from L. Anselmino, protege of the art dealer, Alexander Iolas. Anselmino suggested the idea to Warhol after he had commissioned him to create one hundred prints of the Man Ray portrait.