Oxidation Painting, 1978
Information about the artwork
- Material3 parts; Urine on copper powder in acrylic on canvas
- Dimensions127.3 x 321.3 cm
- Year of acquisition2001
- Inventory numberUAB 555
- On viewCurrently not exhibited
- Copyright© 2024 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Haydar Koyupinar, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Museum Brandhorst, Munich
More about the artwork
Andy Warhol’s “Oxidation Paintings,” also known as “Piss Paintings,” are the subject of countless stories and rumors. The idea is said to have come to Warhol when the pug belonging to the artist Brigid Polk peed on one of his works in his studio, the Factory. It is also said that Warhol invited his assistants to urinate excessively on canvases or scouted men in New York’s public baths specifically for this purpose. The fact is that the “Oxidation Paintings” were created between 1977 and 1978 by peeing or pouring urine onto canvases coated with copper paint, which Warhol had spread out on the floor with his assistants and “ghost pissers.” The resulting chemical reaction of oxidization caused a painterly effect. This threepart version includes forms, shades of color, and surfaces of shimmering complexity. The paintings bear witness to countless experiments with patterns and coloring, the controlled act of applying urine, and the influence of diet on bodily fluids. The “Oxidation Paintings” thus represent not only a new abstraction, but also a physicality in Warhol’s work. The pieces themselves attest to their creation and, contrary to many anecdotes, show that the artist left little to chance.
