I’ve always loved the work of Andy Warhol, but since that’s not a very unique thought, I’ve never written about him {except a little mention in Fashion Show}. Well, I’ve decided that I don’t care if it’s not a unique thought, I am totally jealous of him and I’m going to say it out loud! Here’s how this came about… I was at a little gallery last weekend to see another show. It was alright. Then I noticed a small arrow pointing upstairs to a second room, figured I had time to kill, so why not take a look. I got up there, turned the corner and came face to face with the two pieces shown above. Huge, stunning, original Warhol screen prints. Now, I’ve seen his work in person before, but I knew I was going to see it {that’s what you expect when you buy a ticket to a Warhol Retrospective} but this time they were a surprise, and they literally took my breath away. I’m sure some people think it’s become too mainstream/cliché to say that you love his work, but when you’re standing right in front of these prints, looking closely at one of his creations, you can’t help but be overwhelmed by the artistic genius of this man. I ♥ Andy. There, I said it.
I am in complete agreement over here. Being an academic, you almost feel guilty for liking Andy Warhol. When talking amongst others in the industry you say “Don’t tell anyone, but I really do like Warhol…” or “Oh, I really prefer his later/earlier/more underground work….”
Well that’s how I used to feel, until I went to a massive Warhol retrospective at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art a few years ago. His works are fantastic. Bright, colourful, intelligent, well composed, cleverly referencing other art and artists…Ok, so not every piece will change you life – some are disapointing even, But the stand outs will, just like you said, take your breath away.
Yes, it may feel clichéd to say you like him, but the more I look at his work, the more I scratch under the surface, the more he surprises me.
Good on you Jealous Curator, art history gal over here is well and truly with you on this one.
I went to that same show at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. It was fantastic!
(and I’m glad to know I’m not alone… maybe we should get I ♥ Andy tshirts made?!)
don’t apologize. it’s your blog and thank you for being brave and saying what you think and feel. period.
thanks karen ; )
Agreed. Andy Warhol, fantastic. This is somewhat unrelated, but I recently saw some of Toulouse-Lautrec’s work in the Institute of Art, Chicago, and it is quite amazing as well. I wonder if he was an influence on Warhol?
Yeah, maybe. Toulouse-Lautrec truly was a pop artist of his own time, documenting popular culture in Paris {…in fact, Smithsonian.com calls him ‘The Andy Warhol of his era’}; he used flat bold colours; and on top of it all was a print maker too. Good theory Sonja… I wish Andy was still around so that we could ask him!