In 1980, Andy Warhol famously photographed Margaret Hamilton using his Polaroid Big Shot camera to create “The Witch,” one of the ten screenprints in his renowned 1981 Myths portfolio.
Instead of hiring a younger model, Warhol invited the 78-year-old Hamilton, who immortalized the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, to his studio, The Factory. Hamilton brought along her original costume from the 1939 film to reprise the legendary role more than 40 years later.
“I saw Margaret Hamilton, the witch in The Wizard of Oz, and got so excited and went over to her and told her how wonderful she was,” he said. “She does the Maxwell House commercials now. She’s really small.”
Warhol captured her playful performance using a Polaroid camera. These snapshots served as the direct basis for the final screenprint, which was printed with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board to comment on Hollywood glamour and superficiality.
Warhol’s Myths from 1981 is series of 10 screen prints made for Ron Feldman Gallery, which calls back classic American legends and icons such as Mickey Mouse, Uncle Sam, Superman, and even Warhol himself as The Shadow. Unlike his past work which immortalized Hollywood legends like Marilyn and Liz Taylor, he looked at the fame of imaginary characters known to millions through movies, TV, comics, and cartoons. By portraying these characters from the 1940s and 1950s Warhol connects to his childhood, demonstrating that his obsession with celebrity extended beyond the silver screen to other popular media.
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