by Angela Isbell
When I think of Andy Warhol, three images initially come to mind—his celebrity portraits, the iconic banana of the Velvet Underground and Nico album, and, of course, his Campbell's soup cans. Before attending the Warhol: Fabricated exhibition at AEIVA at UAB, these three things are exactly what I expected to see. However, I was surprised to see only one Marilyn portrait, no bananas, and not a single Campbell's soup can. The works in the exhibition were images I'd never seen before, even after studying Warhol in various art history classes—among these, a portrait of Richard Nixon (“Vote McGovern”), portraits from the American Indian series, and a painting of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement. These images are a different representation of American culture through the eyes of Warhol. They represent more than the popular culture of the 1960s and 1970s, more than the celebrities and consumer products of the time. These images mark points in history. While the American Indian series shows Warhol's interest in the subject, it also helps to keep the culture of the Wild West in American history alive. Warhol's Nixon portrait speaks about the unsettling time in American history after the death of President Kennedy. Likewise, the “Birmingham Race Riot” painting is about another important event in our history, the Civil Rights Movement. Both tragic and empowering, Warhol made a moment in not only American history, but also Birmingham's history, iconic. With his unique style, Warhol was able to capture moments in history, whether they be in the political sense or in pop culture. I found that the exhibition did an excellent job displaying both sides of Warhol's art.
When I think of Andy Warhol, three images initially come to mind—his celebrity portraits, the iconic banana of the Velvet Underground and Nico album, and, of course, his Campbell's soup cans. Before attending the Warhol: Fabricated exhibition at AEIVA at UAB, these three things are exactly what I expected to see. However, I was surprised to see only one Marilyn portrait, no bananas, and not a single Campbell's soup can. The works in the exhibition were images I'd never seen before, even after studying Warhol in various art history classes—among these, a portrait of Richard Nixon (“Vote McGovern”), portraits from the American Indian series, and a painting of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement. These images are a different representation of American culture through the eyes of Warhol. They represent more than the popular culture of the 1960s and 1970s, more than the celebrities and consumer products of the time. These images mark points in history. While the American Indian series shows Warhol's interest in the subject, it also helps to keep the culture of the Wild West in American history alive. Warhol's Nixon portrait speaks about the unsettling time in American history after the death of President Kennedy. Likewise, the “Birmingham Race Riot” painting is about another important event in our history, the Civil Rights Movement. Both tragic and empowering, Warhol made a moment in not only American history, but also Birmingham's history, iconic. With his unique style, Warhol was able to capture moments in history, whether they be in the political sense or in pop culture. I found that the exhibition did an excellent job displaying both sides of Warhol's art.
No comments:
Post a Comment