Brooklyn Bridge 290 by Andy Warhol demonstrates the artist’s signature color block technique to create a three dimensional aesthetic. His use of bold colors such as red, blue, green and black create a harmony and a depth within the print. Warhol was commissioned to created this iconic work for the Brooklyn Bridge’s 100th Anniversary. Warhol’s depiction of the bridge gives a playful humor to the celebration of the structure in his distinct style. Additionally, Warhol’s image served as the official artwork for the citywide event.
Brooklyn Bridge 290 by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
Unlike his other series, Warhol decided to use an offset printing technique for Brooklyn Bridge, which is aesthetically different from his typical works. Although we have seen the color blocking in other works, we are introduced into a more complicated offsetting of the subject printed next to it’s first run. The bridge is printed in a way that it jets off into the distance, where it’s beginning and ending are ambiguous. The print is different from any standard photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge. The color and composition in Warhol’s work brings a surrealism to the mundane subject, which has been catalogued thousands of times by thousands of artists. Warhol’s take on the bridge is nothing less than completely pop art and excessively Warholian.
