Antonio de Felipe

ANTONIO DE FELIPE (Valencia, 1965).
“Warhol Cow.”
Acrylic on canvas.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 130 x 130 cm.
With his unmistakable sense of humor and his ability to transform the great icons of popular culture into unexpected images, Antonio de Felipe presents in “Warhol Cow” one of those visual encounters that define the spirit of Pop Art. Against a background of intense green, the figure of the cow takes center stage. The animal—a recurring motif in De Felipe’s imagery and transformed by the artist into one of his most recognizable symbols—appears crowned by the famous banana associated with Andy Warhol, arranged to resemble unusual horns. The image thus functions as a play on associations. The choice is no accident. Warhol is one of the fundamental influences in De Felipe’s creative universe; the artist has built a significant part of his career on the appropriation and transformation of images drawn from the collective imagination. Advertising, film, classical art, brands, and popular figures are subjected to a unique process of reinterpretation. The cow also occupies a particularly significant place within his body of work. In the 1990s, De Felipe developed an extensive series dedicated to these animals, culminating in the exhibition *Vacas* at the Casa de Vacas in Madrid’s Retiro Park in 1996.
With a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Valencia, Antonio de Felipe simultaneously pursued a career as an advertising creative. His body of work is organized into series such as *Meninas*, *Madonnas*, *Logotipos*, *Vacas*, *Cinemaspop*, and *Popsport*. He has exhibited in Spain and in international cities such as London, Paris, Rome, Munich, Hamburg, Stockholm, and Seoul, and has participated in art fairs such as ARCO, Art Cologne, Art Paris, Art Brussels, and KIAF.