Andy Warhol’s Mammy of 1981 forms part of his Myths portfolio, which assembled a cast of fantastical characters and imaginary heroes that typify and epitomise American childhood. It stands out from the series for its confrontation with the complex and polysemic histories of the black “mammy” archetype constructed by the American cultural imaginary. The pejorative stereotype gained popularity in the 1820s through a combination of radio, vaudeville and minstrelsy acts amidst the national struggle over slavery and equality for black peoples in America. Later, it was embraced in popular culture by novels and films such as the 1939 Hollywood-hit Gone With the Wind. The mammy stereotype reached its zenith in the popular breakfast brand Aunt Jemima that’s recognisable marketing adopted the face of the former slave Nancy Green. Aunt Jemima preserves its cultural significance by not only claiming a permanent spot in the American kitchen – like the mammy herself – but as a symbol of post-Reconstruction era nostalgia for slavery abundant in the early-twentieth century. The larger parent company Quaker’s Oats was forced to rebrand Aunt Jemima in 2021 after being accused of engaging in racial stereotyping, however it still retains the original copyright. Not willing to relinquish ownership of the former slave’s identity is an ironic gesture symbolising the desired preservation of unacknowledged, ubiquitous black labour.

Aunt Jemima poster. Image: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

Warhol originally intended to translate Aunt Jemima’s direct likeness into his Pop style until gallery owner and friend Ronald Feldman informed him Quaker’s Oats threatened to take legal action for copyright infringement. The artist instead turned to a staged polaroid he took of jazz singer and actress Sylvia Williams, who enthusiastically accepted being the model for the screenprint despite the possible lawsuit, incensed that a brand could claim to “own” Aunt Jemima and, as a result, her cultural heritage. Williams both physically embodied and recoded the mammy trope: depicted in a typical patriotic red bandana and white-collared dress, her face is engulfed by a black background, barely legible. Her identity is erased, she is but a means of production, depersonalised like the original Aunt Jemima.

“Are you kidding? Put me on the stand! They can’t take my heritage!”
—Sylvia Williams

Simultaneously, it is Williams’ assertive, direct pose that belies the exaggerated expressions of Aunt Jemima and is therefore consistent with the singer’s desire to reclaim her history. Her bright red lipstick and hooped earring reinstall the individual glamour and sexuality that breaks the manner of asexuality in the original archetype, the allure and female empowerment of African American jazz traditions further distancing her image from the stereotype. In this way, Williams is not simply a "faithful mammy" but a subversive trickster who inserts her own vernacular into the antiquated archetype.

Warhol likely chose the subject of Mammy for its mythical status within American culture. Rooted in very real racial stereotyping, the mammy – most famously branded as Aunt Jemima – was a vehicle for Warhol to explore the celebrity nature of brand identity and the stronghold of commercialism on the everyday consumer. As a byproduct, the artist’s choice of subject matter created a space for Williams’ political activism and a voice through which to reclaim her historical identity. For Warhol, Mammy slots neatly into his series exploring celebrity and stardom, consumer and commodity. For Williams, her role in the creation of the image is deeply personal as she pushes back against racist historical memories embedded within culture, transforming an image of servitude into an image of defiance.

Warhol’s Myths portfolio distills a cast of icons from the typical mid-twentieth century American childhood into a series of powerful images. Finding origin in allegorical tales, traditional media-adapted creations and ancient beliefs, the images include the figures of Mickey Mouse, Santa Claus and Dracula. Each depiction presents an immediately recognisable and identifiable icon and represents a nostalgic version of the American dream. As Greg Metcalf notes, “While these mythic figures carry a range of important cultural attributes, their shared celebrity stature arises from their being heroes of commercial art. Each of these cultural icons is also a commercial icon, a “logo,” the symbol of a corporate identity. Each is also an artistic creation from which the artist has been erased.” Reflecting Warhol’s profound understanding of how identity is manufactured, the Myths series is a powerful comment on the nature of twentieth century society, in which myths emerge from popular culture and inspirational figures are epitomised by commercialised celebrity status.
- Literature
  Frayda Feldman and Jörg Schellmann 262
- Artist Biography
  Andy Warhol
  American • 1928 - 1987
  Andy Warhol was the leading exponent of the Pop Art movement in the U.S. in the 1960s. Following an early career as a commercial illustrator, Warhol achieved fame with his revolutionary series of silkscreened prints and paintings of familiar objects, such as Campbell's soup tins, and celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe. Obsessed with popular culture, celebrity and advertising, Warhol created his slick, seemingly mass-produced images of everyday subject matter from his famed Factory studio in New York City. His use of mechanical methods of reproduction, notably the commercial technique of silk screening, wholly revolutionized art-making.
  Working as an artist, but also director and producer, Warhol produced a number of avant-garde films in addition to managing the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground and founding Interview magazine. A central figure in the New York art scene until his untimely death in 1987, Warhol was notably also a mentor to such artists as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
  
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115

Andy Warhol

Mammy, from Myths (F. & S. 262)

1981
Screenprint in colours with diamond dust, on Lenox Museum Board, the full sheet.
S. 96.3 x 96.5 cm (37 7/8 x 37 7/8 in.)
Signed and numbered 145/200 in pencil (there were also 30 artist's proofs), published by Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Inc., New York (with their and the artist's copyright inkstamp on the reverse), framed.

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