DMUIC De Montfort University International College

[Year]

Name: Darío Alejandro Álvarez

Velásquez
Student No: P2884905
Module: Contextual Studies (LIPCF003)
Tutor: Bettina Hughes
Assignment: Short Commentary
Word Count: 521
Date: 01/05/2025
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 De Montfort University International College

ASSIGNMENT CHECKLIST
Please attach a copy of this checklist to your assignment

Module: Contextual Studies

Module code: LIPCF003
Assignment: Short Commentary

Task Requirements
☐ I have checked the brief carefully to ensure I have followed all the instructions.
☐ I have critically discussed an artist/ designer or media producer I have researched and
two of their works.
☐ I have followed the correct formatting guidelines (see brief).
☐ I have NOT used any language generating software, such as Grammarly.
☐ I have written 500 words (+ / - 10%).
☐ I have used an appropriate range of secondary sources
☐ I have used entirely my own words when paraphrasing/summarising and/or shown
clearly where I have used direct quotation.

Structure & content

☐ I have followed the structure of the commentary template.
☐ I have discussed two works in separate sections.
☐ I have compared and contrasted the two chosen works.
.

Referencing
☐ I have referenced all my sources used in-text with citations.
☐ I have referenced images used.
☐ I have included a reference list and a bibliography.
☐ I have checked my referencing style against the Harvard referencing guide.

Writing style
☐ I have checked my work for any errors with academic style.
☐ I have checked my work for grammar and vocabulary errors.

Contextual Studies Short Commentary Pro Forma

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Give a brief outline of the work and practice of your artist, designer or media
producer. (100 words)

Andy Warhol1 was an American artist and ad illustrator; as an illustrator he worked with a

number of prestigious companies such as, The New York Times, Columbia Records, NBC

and others (The Andy Warhol Museum, 2010). As an artist he is recognized for being part

of the Pop Art movement2. He was also known for his use of bright contrasting colours,

and the use of techniques such as Silkscreen3 or Repetition (Britannica, 2019).

Discuss and analyse the first piece of work (150 words)

The Campbell’s Soup Cans (1961-1962) is probably Warhol’s most noted piece, this set of

paintings give insight into who Warhol was as an artist, using Repetition 4 as his work

method. This set of paintings can be taken as a representation of the time the work was

made, (Early 1960s, United States 5). It also showcases Warhol’s relation with advertising

and Capitalism, and how his past in advertisement connects with his art. Nevertheless, the

idea of artists depicting food is not new and what Warhol does in this set of pieces can be

related to past art works from different eras and artists such as, Vincent van Gogh, William

Kalf or Caravaggio, with Warhol adapting said idea to his time and style (Bellay, 2016).

1 Andy Warhol, born Andrew Warhola, (August 6, 1928, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - February 22,
1987, New York, New York), (Britannica, 2019)
2 Pop Art Movement: ‘Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the 1950s and flourished in the
1960s in America and Britain, drawing inspiration from sources in popular and commercial culture.’
(Tate, 2024).
3 Silkscreen Technique: ‘stencilling technique for surface printing, in which a design is cut out of
paper or another thin, strong material and then printed by rubbing, rolling, or spraying paint or ink
through the cut out areas’ (Britannica, 2009).
4 Repetition Technique: ‘Repetition in art involves the recurring use of elements like shapes, colours,
lines, or textures to create patterns and rhythm.’ (Sandu, 2025).
5 U.S in the 1960s: A time marked by various events that changed the paradigm, including the Cold
War, the Cuban missile crisis, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movements, and the assassination of
President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Dr Martin Luther King, among others.
(Mccaw, 2021).
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Picture 1. Campbell’s Soup Cans. Warhol (1962)

Discuss and analyse the second piece of work (150 words)

Marilyn Diptych (1962), another of Warhol’s recognized paintings shows a different side of

the artist, using the Silk-screening technique to do this work. Through this Warhol is able

to depict Marilyn Monroe’s life shortly after her death, using colours and black and white

as a metaphor of Monroe’s life, almost as a parallelism of a star that has stopped shining.

Other interpretations of this work relate very closely to Warhol himself, describing this

piece almost as a coping mechanism that the artist used to deal with his feelings, some of

the thoughts are that he might have been mourning and dwelling on the death of Munroe,

or that he was trying to deconstruct an idealized image (Marilyn Monroe) to deal with his

own issues and insecurities (Widota, 2018).

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Picture 2. Marilyn Diptych. Warhol (1962)

Compare and contrast the works considering the form, content, techniques and
message (150 words)

Both the Campbell’s Soup Cans and the Marilyn Diptych show a clear image of who

Warhol was as an artist, as according to Danto (2009), these two works of the painter are

a representation of mass culture, and ideas of their time, expressing contrasting ideas or

emotions. Both paintings were made in the early 1960s, however, they differ in technique,

as the Campbell’s Soup Cans were made by repetition and the Marilyn Diptych was

realized using Silkscreen. Regardless of the technique differences, the ones that really

stand out are the differences and similarities behind the concepts expressed. This is better

explained by Duchamp6 (1965), "If a man takes fifty Campbell Soup cans and puts them

on a canvas, it is not the retinal image which concerns us. What interests us is the concept

that wants to put fifty Campbell Soup cans on a canvas". Both works show Warhol’s views

from different angles, sharing his thoughts on society through the use of Repetition as a

symbolism for Capitalism and Consumerism, and his art not being so much about the art

itself but the concept behind it.

6 Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp, born July 28, 1887, Blainville, France, died October 2, 1968,
Neuilly, Paris, France. Was a French artist for his takes on conventional aesthetics and his artworks
questioning said conventions. (Lebel, 2019).
 De Montfort University International College

References

Reference list

Bellay, M. (2016). The Paintings of Pop Art in the United States of America: Olomouc
2016.

Britannica (2019). Andy Warhol. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andy-Warhol [Accessed 17 Apr. 2025].

Danto, A.C. (2010). Andy Warhol. New Haven, Conn. ; London: Yale University Press.

Lebel, R. (2019). Marcel Duchamp | Biography & Artwork. In: Encyclopædia Britannica.
[online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcel-Duchamp [Accessed
28 Apr. 2025].

Mccaw, P. (2021). Culture of 1960s America - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com.
[online] Study.com. Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/culture-of-1960s-
america.html [Accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Sandu, B. (2025). What Is Repetition in Art? Examples and Insights. [online] Russell
Collection. Available at: https://russell-collection.com/what-is-repetition-in-art-examples-
and-insights/ [Accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Tate (2024). Pop Art. [online] Tate. Available at:

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/pop-art [Accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

The Andy Warhol Museum (2010). Andy Warhol’s Life - The Andy Warhol Museum.
[online] The Andy Warhol Museum. Available at: https://www.warhol.org/andy-warhols-
life/ [Accessed 17 Apr. 2025].

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2009). Silkscreen | printmaking. In: Encyclopædia

Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/technology/silkscreen
[Accessed 28 Apr. 2025].

Wagner, A.M. (1996). Warhol Paints History, or Race in America. Representations,

 De Montfort University International College

[online] 55(Special Issue), pp.98–119. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/3043740.

Widota, A. (2018). Andrzej Widota (PASTWOWA WYŻSZA SZKOŁA ZAWODOWA W

RACIBORZU) ON THE ROLE OF REVERSE PERSPECTIVE IN MARYLIN DIPTYCH BY
ANDY WARHOL. AN ATTEMPT AT a SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS.

Image Reference list

Picture 1. Warhol, A. (1962) Campbell’s Soup Cans [Acrylic with metallic enamel paint on
canvas, 32 panels]. Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79809
(Accessed: 1 May 2025).

Picture 2. Warhol, A. (1962) Marilyn Diptych [Alkyd ink, acrylic paint, oil ground and
graphite on two canvases]. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/warhol-
marilyn-diptych-t03093 (Accessed: 1 May 2025).

Bibliography

Bibliography

Acocella, J. (2020). Untangling Andy Warhol. [online] The New Yorker. Available at:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/06/08/untangling-andy-warhol [Accessed 23
Apr. 2025].

Maddox Gallery. (2024). Andy Warhol Art: Decoding the Real Life of the Eccentric Pop
Artist through 8 Key Prints. [online] Available at: https://maddoxgallery.com/news/392-
andy-warhol-art-decoding-his-life-through-8-key-warhol-prints/ [Accessed 23 Apr. 2025].

Tate (2019). ‘Marilyn Diptych’, Andy Warhol, 1962. [online] Tate. Available at:
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/warhol-marilyn-diptych-t03093 [Accessed 22 Apr.
2025].

www.bbc.co.uk. (n.d.). BBC - History - Andy Warhol. [online] Available at:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/warhol_andy.shtml [Accessed 22 Apr.
2025].
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