 |
Fine art by Andy Warhol, Indian Head Nickel
is a screenprint created by Andy Warhol in 1986 as part of his "Cowboys and Indians" portfolio. The portfolio consists of ten prints that explore themes of American history, cultural stereotypes, and the mythology of the American West.
The artwork depicts the profile of a Native American man from the obverse side of the Indian Head or Buffalo nickel, a five-cent coin minted from 1913 to 1938. The image on the original coin was a composite of several Native American models, and Warhol's use of it in his Pop Art style is seen as a commentary on how mass media and repetition can flatten cultural identity into a simplified icon.
The "Cowboys and Indians" series also includes portraits of historical and cultural figures such as General Custer, Geronimo, Annie Oakley, and John Wayne. By juxtaposing these figures, Warhol's portfolio provides a symbolic confrontation between myth and history, inviting viewers to reflect on what is remembered and what is erased in the American narrative.
The work is an original screenprint on Lenox Museum Board and is from an edition of 250, with some signed trial proofs also existing. A complete set of the "Cowboys and Indians" portfolio was donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian upon its publication. |
|
|
