Warhol's “Faces” as Mimesis in Mass Culture: Reading Serial Portraits, Outer and Inner Spaces (1965), and Screen Tests (1964-1966)

Abstract

Andy Warhol expressed his philosophy of pop art perhaps most clearly in his silkscreen serial portraits, which highlight the surface value of objects and human faces (mostly celebrities) through repetition and seriality, thereby equating the “face” and everyday consumer goods as commodities in mass culture. Warhol applied his aesthetic philosophy, which he called “POPism,” throughout his career, including in his later work with mass media and film. This project explores two films, Outer and Inter Spaces (1965) and Screen Tests (1964-1966), to understand how Warhol’s artistic practices extended his initial penchant for commodity aesthetics and critiques of consumer culture while also deepening his engagement with these subjects. Relying on Theodore Adorno’s concept of mimesis, I showcase how Warhol’s POPism and serial “faces” not only capture the surface value of people and objects but also grant them a certain individuality—an aspect of life that he saw verging on disappearing in mass culture—merging the two conflicting values through the serial rendering of the face.