by Allison Ciamarra
Personally to start off, I am not a fan of Warhol's artwork. I have seen it all my life never understanding it or thinking anymore of it than commercial art. This show has only slightly changed my perception of his work and him as a person. The large-scale screen prints are bright with pop colors and a strange emptiness. Many of Warhol’s Western-themed prints, related to his Cowboys and Indians portfolio, reminded me of cheesy movies with heroic cowboys and the damsels in distress. Of course, these prints play on the myth of the West, shrouding and erasing its real history of bloodshed and violence. Yet his Kachina Dolls image seems to undermine the idealization of the West to some extent as it portrays the tradition of how Hopi Indians celebrate with these dolls that they believed had supernatural powers of protection and immortality. This Warhol may be making a subtle political statement, but in his usual sarcastic manner he displays both sides of the history of the West. Warhol may, in one way, mock America’s western history with his own strange, colorful and theatrical history. But in the mess of pop, false history and craziness he hits at a communal sorrow and longing for the western “American Dream.” Overall, Warhol became more of a mystery to me and I can never say if I will like his art or not, but this exhibit got me thinking about him more as a person.
Personally to start off, I am not a fan of Warhol's artwork. I have seen it all my life never understanding it or thinking anymore of it than commercial art. This show has only slightly changed my perception of his work and him as a person. The large-scale screen prints are bright with pop colors and a strange emptiness. Many of Warhol’s Western-themed prints, related to his Cowboys and Indians portfolio, reminded me of cheesy movies with heroic cowboys and the damsels in distress. Of course, these prints play on the myth of the West, shrouding and erasing its real history of bloodshed and violence. Yet his Kachina Dolls image seems to undermine the idealization of the West to some extent as it portrays the tradition of how Hopi Indians celebrate with these dolls that they believed had supernatural powers of protection and immortality. This Warhol may be making a subtle political statement, but in his usual sarcastic manner he displays both sides of the history of the West. Warhol may, in one way, mock America’s western history with his own strange, colorful and theatrical history. But in the mess of pop, false history and craziness he hits at a communal sorrow and longing for the western “American Dream.” Overall, Warhol became more of a mystery to me and I can never say if I will like his art or not, but this exhibit got me thinking about him more as a person.
No comments:
Post a Comment