Mao (FS II.89) by Andy Warhol is a Xerox print on typewriter paper, a unique variant within a limited edition created for The New York Collection for Stockholm. Completed in 1973, this black-and-white piece measures 11 by 8.5 inches and offers a stark, minimalist portrayal of Mao Zedong, one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. Each print in the edition is individually signed and numbered by Warhol in ballpoint pen on the verso, emphasizing the artist’s personal engagement with the series.

In this work, Warhol reduces Mao’s iconic image to its most basic outlines, stripping away the vivid colors that characterize his better-known portraits of the leader. By doing so, he draws attention to the medium itself—the Xerox process—and the idea of mass reproduction. The use of a common office tool to replicate Mao’s likeness mirrors the way the leader’s image was widely disseminated in China, subtly critiquing the relationship between political propaganda and media technologies. The contrast between the ordinariness of the materials and the extraordinary scope of Mao’s influence highlights the power of mechanical reproduction in shaping political mythology.

Published as part of a fundraising portfolio to support the acquisition of works by major New York artists for the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden, Warhol’s Mao (FS II.89) connects Warhol to contemporaries such as Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Serra, and Robert Rauschenberg. The project, coordinated by Experiments in Art and Technology and printed by Julie Martin in New York, embodies the collaborative and experimental spirit of the 1960s art scene.

Ultimately, this work is not just an extension of Warhol’s ongoing exploration of fame and authority; it is also a meditation on the technological processes that generate and proliferate imagery. Mao (FS II.89) critiques the commodification of political figures and questions the role of art in an age dominated by mass media. Through its pared-down execution and choice of humble materials, it offers a powerful commentary on the intersections of art, politics, and technology in the modern world.

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