Here is the content I had written for a limited edition book that I put together last fall. I only made 5 of them and gave them out as presents. The cover was a parody of the first Velvet Underground cover with the peel-able banana. Mine was made from a transparent paper due to resource constrictions. All other graphic elements were made to mimic the iconic record cover. Sorry it's kind of long. I really wanted to drive home the point of what I thought of the exhibition and spare no insights.
I opted to wait for Sunday to attend the Warhol exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum. No real reason other than it would make a for a fun Sunday afternoon adventure. Little did I realize that it was family day and what I had hoped to be a serene exploration turned into a barrage of crying kids and impatient parents. Lesson learned I suppose. I walked up to the front counter, showed the woman my school ID for free entry, and inquired about the audio guide that I was told to include during my visit. Upon a hassle free exchange of communications, I was given my headset and allowed to walk through the glass doors.
Keys to the kingdom.
The first confrontation came in the form of ‘Self Portrait (Strangulation)’. This particular piece was used as the primary advertising vehicle, which encompassed a great deal of the promo material. The interesting thing about this piece, which was subsequently done exactly ten years after his assassination attempt, is that it ties in to this idea of mortality and time. The announcer on the headphones had remarked of Andy’s sense of humor and I sort of identified with what he was getting at. To me, it might have signaled Andy’s attempt at making light of the situation. Compositional-wise, I found that the method in which Andy used in creating this was not unlike anything that I had expected. Perhaps my vision of this exhibit was connected to this idea that everything had to be tied to a sense of high standards. For instance, this being the first piece in the show, you could clearly see globs of paint and smears of unorganized color. Was this intentional or was it merely an act of spontaneous creativity? I liked it. I liked that there were spots of relief where the paint had pooled. I honestly felt a much stronger connection to it because it felt like it had come straight from Andy’s work area. Not an assembly line. Much of the work that I was exposed to today reveled in this sort of organized clutter of materials. I wondered what other artifacts lied within its boundaries. Fingerprints perhaps? This portion of the tour relied heavily on his self-portraits. There wasn’t a lot of color exploding all over the place quite yet and I had this sort of premonition that the rest of the show was going to follow this format. I wanted to see color and lots of it! The next few pieces were a little drab in comparison to what would eventually come but maybe this was the whole point. Working from from one place and getting to next all while forming and growing.
Up next was the revamped Marilyn Monroe print. This one was a radical departure from the initial print that we all know and love. This composition was primarily created by using two black mediums. From a distance I couldn’t really tell what it was. Only when I examined it closer was I able to pick out the familiar shapes. Honestly, I thought that this piece was the black sheep of the exhibition. Ironic that it was black. Hmmm.... Anyway, I just felt that it didn’t have much connection to the other pieces on display. Even later when I got to the black and white ads, did I really realize how out of place the Marilyn Monroe painting was. The black and white ads, although simplistic and stripped down in their own right at least had a lot of exciting movements and shape experimentation. The ‘Shadows’ series was next in my adventure through the exhibit and it honestly wasn’t the most impressing thing that I witnessed. I understood the idea and thought that it was intriguing but there just wasn’t enough flair to keep my attention. Although I will say that the audio guides description of it was an insight into Andy’s public persona. Andy had often been slagged off by the critics who mainly focused on his nightly club excursions and public behavior. But this particular series really kind of gave the critics a run for their money. I felt that he had completely shifted from a direct way of thinking to a more conceptual experimental practice. I looked at the prints for a long time trying to devise some sort of image, shape, or familiar object, but couldn’t make anything out. What is it? Maybe it’s not supposed to be anything at all. One of the prints was actually done as a self-portrait and I thought this worked much stronger.
I had mentioned earlier that the black and white ads, although a little deviant from the rest of the show in terms of color exploration stood on their own because of their visual representation. These came next in the line. I really liked these and it sort of reminded me of why I’m interested in this artist in the first place. I felt that it depicted a serious look at our culture and how we perceive it through the means of public addresses and what grabs our attention in various media outlets. But its the absurdity in it all that really makes me smile. How is it that our perceptions of entertainment and enlightenment be brought down to the lowest common denominator? Why is a can of soup considered art? I’m not arguing it. I think that it’s great. It gives everything that I do just a little more justification. Another aspect of the black and white ad series was his “Repent” print where he sort touched upon his on religious beliefs, which is something that he rarely if ever did. It might be safe to say that toward the end of his life, perhaps he was becoming a little more open in terms of his personal beliefs. This particular print justifies his attempt in trying to create his religious message through his art and practice.
The next few pieces relied heavily on an explosive representation of color. One of these were the “Eggs” series. They were whimsical in nature, yet simplistic and subdued. Both seemed to be the same print, but one was color and one was black and white. Obviously because of my own tastes, I gravitated toward the colored version. I stood from a distance and soaked the whole thing in for awhile before getting closer and examining it at close range. The real moment of clarification came when I could see the little halftone dots along the edges of the eggs. This was no doubt created from a screen. The edges were much rougher at a closer distance and I liked that it could be perceived as two different things at two different views. I had almost thought that it was a carefully crafted painting from far away. But after diving in deeper, I found that it was exactly the opposite. Did the size of the piece have something to do with that? Was that Andy’s plan all along? Throughout the show, I was getting tricked left and right by this visual concoction. Take for instance the “Yarn” painting. No one could miss it. Stretching out along the wall as a one-piece canvas that was tattered with what seemed to be strewn yarn. The intertwining of colored scribbles entered my psyche with extreme vibrancy. Little spots of paint drips, and erratic strokes of color just seemed to be strategically placed throughout this chaotic depiction of yarn. According to the audio guide, Andy had laid out the yarn on the floor and took several pictures. Then made a screen from that. It was originally done as an advertisement for a yarn company but they had ultimately chosen a more conservative design implemented by Andy. As the audio guide revealed more about this piece, he made note that Andy always reached his objectives for meeting the quota of his clients, but always found something in it for himself. I identify with that greatly. I’ve always just sort of followed my own direction regardless of boundaries and rules. I’m afraid this will be my downfall. The story that the guide was telling of this made much sense as Andy was always sort of twisting his assigned jobs into his own personal expressions. I feel many of the black and white ads adhere to this standard as well.
Understanding that the late years for Andy Warhol was a time for abstraction is an understatement. When we hear the name Warhol, we instantly think of pop art and those damn soup cans. He has always sort of relied on this measure of notoriety, but I was interested to find out that many of his later work before his death was extremely abstract in nature. Look back at the ‘Shadow’
series and how it was using this conceptual message rather than a direct one. Even the Marilyn Monroe piece is guilty of this. Gone was the vibrant photo generated portrayal. Now it was transformed into something a little less tangible and provocative in thinking.
Another self-portrait then came into light and spoke of a simpler approach. As Andy proved time and time again, the twists and turns of his output never ceased to amaze. Now it seemed as though he was reverting back to his comfort areas to produce this inner look. The focus tended to be on the various wigs that Andy would sport. I also believe this may be one of his more recognizable self-portraits. I jotted down my notes proclaiming that the color scheme was a definite plus on my part, but really had no other comments to make on it. My favorite pieces in this exhibit were just right around the corner. I believe through Andy’s exploration into abstractness, that his collaboration with Jean-Michel Basquiat would prove to tie the old in with the new.
Andy’s Collaboration with Jean-Michel Basquiat is probably the most exciting compositions in this gallery. Foremost in the aspect that it was successful is connecting the two artists vision into a cohesive batch of really meaningful work. It had also been used as a vehicle for Andy to utilize some of elements of pop art that initially made him popular. The choice piece for me was “Arm and Hammer II”. This demonstrates not only the skills of each performer, but it also proved that the two had more in common than what initially let on through their work. This revelation became true when I noticed a lot of so-called flubs in Andy’s work. Paint globs, drips, etc..... Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work is very similar in that he hastily crafts his work together without taking too much consideration into truly refining it. In this case, it seems that Andy would win the refinement category as much of his contributions followed more streamlined than Basquiat’s. If messy and unorthodox was the theme here, then ‘Alba’s Breakfast’ would be a strong contender for first. I stood there for awhile picking through the pieces in this painting trying to find something that isn’t so visible. Maybe I could unlock a secret that no one has ever revealed. There was quite a lot to pick through and by the time I had reached the end, my mind couldn’t take anymore. I made up a story to myself on how this might have come about. Perhaps they were both in the their studios trying to come to terms about what to create next. Blindly following instinct, they grab some paint and go to work. Not knowing exactly where this new path would lead them. Maybe it took them a very long time to do. Days and days of slaving away on this canvas. If the material could talk, it would be moaning from the excessive beating and sheer force that these two artists were welding. I couldn’t tell what kind of materials were used in most of the creation. At first I thought it might’ve been markers or maybe even crayons. But I’m willing to bet that it was more than likely wax pastels or something similar. It wasn’t hard to pick out which did what. Even both of their approaches to art were closely related, their overall aesthetics in visual representation were radically different. Jean-Michel Basquiat largely relied on graffiti styled imagery and sketch-like playfulness. Warhol, on the other hand used a sleeker illustrative type style that was a little more regimented. Combining the two may not have seemed like a good idea at first. I would have never pictured it, but perhaps that this was the exact thing that the two artists were looking for. Andy was even quoted in saying that Jean Michel was responsible for getting him back into painting. If anything, this was a practice in rejuvination.
Up next were the fabulous camouflage prints. This was the Andy that I knew. I think that someday, when I have my own place, that Id like to do up my living room walls like this. Well, anyway, this was another favorite of mine from the exhibit and it seems to scream loud and clear. The prints were massive too. Covering a giant portion of the wall. There was nothing camouflage about it.
The only other piece worth mentioning was the ‘oxidation paintings’. These were another attempt by Warhol to use mediums not yet implemented in his practices and adhered strongly to the abstract formula. The shapes danced carelessly among drips and splashes of intertwining psychedelic blobs. As soon as I found out what it was, I sort of squinted in disgust. Not exactly what I had expected.
Around the last couple years of his life, Andy was in constant motion. The audio guide had pointed out that this might have been the most chaotic time for Warhol as he was extremely tied down with projects and commitments. Andy had taken up to working around the clock at days at a time producing work at an alarming rate. Was he aware of his own mortality? Was he racing against time? It would seem so.
And here we come to a few of his final pieces. ‘The Last Supper’ inhibited the final room and depicted the famous mural done up Warhol style. Being that Andy was devout in his Catholicism belief, it’s strange to think that much of his later worked debunked much of what he believed in. The audio guide had mentioned that it was wrong to include the image of Christ in twos. Was it any wonder that one whole wall of gallery was plastered with multiple prints of Christ? The last Supper was even done in a series of two. Here, I felt that Andy was coming full circle in his art. And even from just how this whole exhibit was presented. We started with screened prints and we ended it with screened printed. I really had no comment on this last supper portrayal because I merely saw it has an homage or tribute to the original and didn’t so much have a hand in bursting creativity. It was good, don’t get me wrong and it was definitely recognized as a Warhol work of art, but there was just a little something missing that didn’t resonate with me. Maybe I’m just not a fan of the original last supper and more of my tastes lie in modern applications. Who really knows. It was indeed powerful imagery and I think that might be a good note to end on. Going out with a bang. The only installment to the last supper series was the very last composition hanging on the very last wall. This felt more juxtaposed in a manner that was similar to his collaboration work with Jean Michel Basquiat. Honestly, this might’ve been the better ending.
Bringing the later work of Andy to Milwaukee is nothing short of magical. Milwaukee isn’t exactly an art hot spot, although one could argue that the local scene in itself a very healthy one. Besides Andy was born and bred in a place very reminiscent of Milwaukee. Both Pittsburgh and Milwaukee are hard working industrial cities that once thrived on our signature exports. But maybe not so much anymore. So really, it makes all the sense in the world to bring the genius of a rust belt survivor back into it’s own regional make up.
I would comment that the show adhered strongly to flow. Getting from one place to the next all while keeping in the mind time line artifacts. It seemed as though they were following the years. From about 1978 to 1987. It might make a good note to state that as the years rolled on, there seemed to be a start, a peak, and then an end. We started with Andy’s signature silk screen look and eventually climaxed into when he got reacquainted with painting. But then we ended the show back with the screen prints. I’d also have to note that there weren’t any photographs or any other media that might be related to film. I had always thought that during the 70’s heyday when Andy would go night clubbing, that he would document everything with a camera and recorder. Why wasn’t any of this in the show? Where does that stuff exist? I guess from a theme standpoint, it would really fit. Although upon leaving the exhibit, we got a series of his test shots that he had done in the mid to late 60’s. I sat and watched the Lou Reed one where he drank a coke. I then went home and found it on youtube. I watched it again.
The more that I think about it, an institution like the Milwaukee Public Museum did an adequate job in presenting us with the some of the most important work ever committed to humankind. I can’t really complain and I can’t really dictate what it should have been. If I was to pick out a few intricacies that I thought could have been improved on, it would be to include more pieces that might have played in all of Andy’s endeavors within his last ten years. Like I had stated earlier, there weren’t whole lot in the way of photographs or cinematic documentation. But then again, would that get in the way of the vision that the Museum had in mind? This was a very heavy fine-art focused theme, but I would’ve have liked to see it expound further. Like a scrap book in time. A documentive story-like adventure if you will.
I have only had a few encounters in my life where I’ve gotten to actually see Andy’s Work in person. This may have been the largest volume that I had been exposed to in the shortest amount of time. And for that, I feel grateful. I’ve been an admirer from a far for some time, so any live glimpse that I can grab, I’m going to cherish. It’s no mistake the amount of influence that Andy has left in his wake. And because of my own decision to practice commercial art may have been spawned from an unconscious action that was sparked by my knowledge of Andy’s life.
