Cliff

Early in his career Schenck worked in Andy Warhol's art studio called The Factory. After his departure, Schenck continued to explore the vocabulary of Pop Art in his work. This painting displays a paint-by-number aesthetic that Warhol also used for his Do-It-Yourself-Paintings from the 1960s. Schenck, however, does not use the standard subjects of paint-by-number kits. Instead he creates scenic views of the West populated by the figures of Hollywood movies and American comics: handsome cowboys, beautiful women and loathsome bad guys. In a series of paintings, he created the supposed hero, Cliff, who appears to act out the required movie script. The comic book text, inspired by Roy Lichtenstein, however, tells a different story. In this case, Cliff announces that he is going to ride off into the distance with Native Americans to share their chase towards destiny. But what is their destiny? The ambiguity of the moment juxtaposed with the clarity of the painting style compels us to consider the falsity underlying the myths of the West.