Brady Adair | Andy’s Back!

27 Jan Andy’s Back!

Posted at 15:39h in Art Exhibition by Brady

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A celebration of Andy Warhol’s prolific career is currently on exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In a glorious three floor retrospective, the artist is investigated again—in all his inspired, mercurial, visionary, and complicated self.

In an age before “disruptor” even existed as a contemporary term, Andy Warhol was just that—a singular voice that completely changed the American landscape of “FINE ART” and upended a field which is still influenced by him 32 years after his death. In cheeky revelations, he explored and exploited the true American consciousness and told us who we are and who we’d like to be.

Through humble beginnings as an illustrator for fashion advertising, he saw how assembly line production, merchandising, media, consumerism and desire all formed the country’s psyche and how easily “fine art” could be produced and sold through the same lens.

Showing early promise–a small sign of what was to come!

Portrait of John Butler with Dancer, 1952, Oil and Ink on Canvas

Capitalizing on this understanding, he spent the rest of his career finely dissecting and refining his work to communicate these concepts.

Which is your favorite?

The retrospective is highly curated and provides a comprehensive view with a laser focus. One of the best rooms is on the first floor, showcasing the portraits. Everyone from his mother to Gianni Versace are on display, affirming a breadth of work that is mostly unparalleled by any other artist.

Silver Liz (diptych), 1963, Silkscreen Ink, Acrylic and Spray Paint on Linen

Orange Car Crash Fourteen Times, 1963, Silkscreen Ink, Acrylic and Graphite on Linen

Other highlights include the infamous Brillo boxes, a series of Interview magazine covers, personal papers and effects, extensive film and television clips and numerous other pieces which were new to me.

Brillo Boxes, 1964

A lively crowd made the experience all the more exciting and simply proves the lasting allure this particular artist has as well as the cache of the Whitney’s new location below the Highline in the Meatpacking district.

His work will continue to live on, not only for its brilliance in defining a period in American life and culture but for the larger statement he made about the human experience, a statement we still identify with today.

Andy Warhol—From A to B and Back Again runs through March 31.