Art Institute's Andy Warhol retrospective goes beyond soup cans and celebrities
Andy Warhol's works are as familiar as a can of soup or a bottle of pop.
Such widely reproduced works as "Campbell's Soup Cans" (1962), "Triple Elvis [Ferus Type]" (1963) and "Mao" (1972) made the Pop Art pioneer as famous as the celebrities whose likenesses he captured. But those iconic images don't tell the entire story of the late artist, filmmaker, publisher and producer who famously predicted everyone would enjoy 15 minutes of fame.
That task falls to "Andy Warhol - From A to B and Back Again," which opened Sunday, Oct. 20, at the Art Institute of Chicago. Organized by Donna De Salvo, curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, "it's a monumental undertaking," said Jay Dandy, collection manager for the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Art Institute of Chicago.
The exhibition features more than 400 works and marks the first major Warhol retrospective since 1989. Moreover, it comes at a time when Warhol's philosophy, his penchant for documenting everything, inspires much of social media, making the artist very much of the moment.
Warhol, the son of Slovakian immigrants, examined popular culture and celebrity, commerce and consumerism, as well as darker subjects including racial violence, car crashes and electric chairs. All those themes are represented in the exhibition, which includes early works from the late 1940s that the Pittsburgh native produced while working as a commercial illustrator.
Also featured are early experiments in screen printing and works inspired by advertisements and comic books from the early 1960s, self-portraits, images of celebrities and politicians, the "Death and Disaster" series featuring Jacqueline Kennedy following her husband's assassination and late career collaborations with younger artists.
"This show allows people to take a step back and look at how innovative and inventive he was," Dandy said. "One of his great contributions was to take a recognized commercial technique such as silk-screen and make art."
"(The process) allowed him to create the same image over and over, but it really wasn't the same image," said Dandy, referring to the subtle, intentional differences in works such "Marilyn Diptych." Dandy considers the 1962 work among the highlights of "From A to B and Back Again."
Such works, that incorporate repetition, pose an intriguing question.
"What happens when you repeat something? Does it lose its meaning or amplify its importance?" said Dandy, who recommends several works for viewers seeking a deeper dive into Warhol's art.
He said the drawing "Hand Holding Leafy Branch" illustrates Warhol's signature blotted line technique, while "Ladies and Gentlemen," a series of drag queen portraits, reflects Warhol's interest in the different personas people adopt.
The retrospective is shaping up to be a hot ticket this fall if preview attendance is any indication. The first preview last week drew more than 400 Art Institute members within the first 30 minutes, Dandy said.
"Warhol was an artist who continues to provoke and intrigue," said Dandy. "He is not necessarily what you thought he was."
<h3 class="briefHead">"Andy Warhol - From A to B and Back Again"</h3>
When: The exhibit runs Oct. 20 to Jan. 26. The museum is open 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Thursdays until 8.
Where: The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. artic.edu.
Tickets and admission fees: The exhibition requires a $7 special exhibition ticket. Museum admission is $16 to $22 for Illinois residents; free for members and children 13 and younger.