Accession Number2000/2.14.20
TitleAnimals as Aliens
Artist(s)Sir Eduardo Paolozzi Artist NationalityBritish (modern)Object Creation Date1965 - 1970Medium & Supportphotolithograph on paperDimensions 14 15/16 in x 10 in (37.94 cm x 25.4 cm)
Credit LineGift of Professor Diane M. KirkpatrickSubject matterLike many of his contemporaries, Paolozzi used new printing techniques as a way to engage with modern mass media's new visual culture. At the same time, the photomechanical process made the work look mechanically manufactured rather than hand made, in the traditional artistic sense. Therefore, after he modified, transformed, and assembled the source image(s), the medium allowed for a more uniform final image.
This print is one of a large series of 50 prints included in the 1970 portfolio, which was a second edition of the an earlier group of slightly larger prints titled "Moonstrips Empire News." While the first series was strictly produced as screenprints, this second series "General Dynamic F.U.N." includes works of photolithography, like this one. The themes seen in this portfolio are different in style and subject matter from other Pop works of the period, but engage with the images of a modern mass media, looking beyond just advertising and publicity images. Likewise, the title of the portfolio alludes to the General Dynamics Corporation, who was the manufacturer of the F-111 fighter used during the Vietnam War—the same one referenced in James Rosenquist monumental painting "F-111."
The source image for this work is an advertising campaign for Baker's Chocolate & Coconut that presented the recipe and instructions to create a teddy-bear shaped cake. Combined with the title, Paolozzi created a satirical view of American contemporary culture.
Physical DescriptionThis pink and tan print has a large photo of a teddy bear cake at the center, surrounded by abstract forms.
Primary Object ClassificationPrintCollection AreaModern and ContemporaryRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
Pop (fine arts styles)
advertisements
artists' proofs
cake (food)
photolithographs
portfolios (groups of works)
teddy bears