Andy Warhol - the velvet underground and Nico Flashcards
(7 cards)
function
Function
The small lettering ‘Peel Slowly and See’ located near the top of the banana guides buyers to remove the sticker. The sexual connotations of peeling something off combined with the phallic imagery of the banana capture the music produced by the band. This makes the imagery and typography function effectively by accurately representing the music on the album.
The simple imagery of ripe banana, limited colour palette of yellow, black and white, and lettering linked to both Warhol and the peelable sticker are attention grabbing, which functions as an effective piece of graphic design.
The function of using Warhol’s name along the bottom right of the design links The Velvet Underground with Andy Warhol, famous artist. The record company thought the link between the band and Warhol would help to promote the album and generate sales, a strategy that was only partially successful.
working methods /techniques/materials/technology
Working Methods/ Techniques/ Materials/ Technology
Warhol’s process for making a photographic silkscreen print was to pick the photo, scale it up, have it transferred onto a screen and then use ink to make a print from the screen. He used mechanical methods and assistants to help make the work, not necessarily making the prints himself. He made the banana print by these methods almost a year prior to using it for The Velvet Underground album cover.
The sticker of the banana on the front cover required a special machine to manufacture it. The stickers then had to be placed by hand on top of the banana. This led to a delay in the albums release, as well as being expensive to make. Later print runs of the cover did not include the sticker, making those that did a collectors item.
Warhol used photographic silk screen printing to create the original black and yellow banana image. This allowed him to use an existing photograph of a banana and quickly make multiple versions and variations of the print. This was typical of Warhol’s working methods.
target market/audience
Target market/audience
Warhol’s iconic design and name along the bottom of the album instead of the band name or title would appeal to Warhol fans, who recognising his name may buy the album without know much about the band.
Originally the album did not achieve commercial success despite the bands link with Warhol. However over time the album has acquired cult status due to both the music of The Velvet Underground and Warhol’s design. As a result the album has a reached a large audience who are intrigued by Warhol and the work he was doing in the 60’s.
aesthetics
Aesthetics
The cover has a simple aesthetic due to the ripe bananas limited colour palette of yellow and black on a plain white background. The black bits showing spots on the overripe banana is more interesting than the flat yellow of a perfectly ripe banana would be. This creates a simple graphic quality which is attention grabbing.
The peelable sticker creates an interactive experience for the buyer. Once the sticker depicting the ripe banana peel is removed, it reveals the banana underneath which has been rendered in a pink skin tone instead of the yellow one might expect. The banana image has phallic associations which creates a striking aesthetic.
The use of a familiar fruit, a banana, printed with a bold colour palette of black and yellow celebrate the everyday aspect of popular culture and is typical of Warhol’s Pop Art style in highlighting mundane objects. This creates a memorable aesthetic as the cover has become an iconic symbol of Pop Art.
style
Style
The style is Pop Art. Warhol used a prior artwork for the album design that shows his distinctive Pop Art style of bright colours screen printed on a plain background using an existing photo as the source image- in this case a ripe banana. His design for The Velvet Underground has since become iconic and is synonymous with Pop Art as a visual representation of the style.
The use of a familiar product, a banana, printed with a limited colour palette of black and yellow celebrates the everyday aspect of popular culture and is typical of Warhol’s Pop Art style in highlighting mundane objects. It symbolises the rise in mass production and consumption that Warhol observed and commented on in his work.
The black line work on the banana is typical of Warhol’s illustrative style. The line work shows the over ripe spots on the banana and outlines the shape of the banana, giving it form. This use of black outline is common in Pop Art.
visual element - colour
Visual Element: Colour
Warhol used a limited colour palette of yellow and black to represent the banana on a plain white background. The black bits showing spots on the overripe banana is more interesting than the flat yellow of a perfectly ripe banana would be. This creates a flat graphic quality which is attention grabbing.
Once the sticker depicting the ripe banana peel is removed, it reveals the banana underneath which has been rendered in a pink skin tone instead of the yellow one might expect. The flesh coloured banana has phallic associations which creates a striking aesthetic.
The black line work on the banana is typical of Warhol’s illustrative style. The black colour shows the over ripe spots on the banana and outlines the shape of the banana, giving it form. This use of black outline is common in Pop Art.
social and cultural
Social/ Cultural
Warhol was influenced by technology, once saying “I want to be a machine”. Using silk screen printing allowed him to mass produce his work. We see this in the album design as he used a photographic silkscreen print process to make a piece of design that was mass produced and sold commercially.
Warhol was involved in the counterculture of the 1960’s including the gay rights and feminist movements. The cover for The Velvet Underground has become an icon of gay culture not just because of the themes the music represents but also because of the phallic symbolism associated with the banana.
Warhol was inspired by the music industry. He is credited as an artistic producer on the album. This was part of the decision to put his name on the cover rather than The Velvet Underground’s name. His design of a simple banana challenged conventional notions of album artwork and allowed each person who bought the album to own a Warhol piece.
Warhol was influenced by fame and celebrity. He liked remaining a topic in the news, working with The Velvet Underground on the controversial album allowed him to do this. He worked with The Velvet Underground not just on this album, but also used them in his studio for events and to soundtrack some of his film work.
