As part of my research around the aspects of justice within industry,
I visited the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester to explore the touring exhibition
Artists Room Andy Warhol. The contemporary art tour has been taken from the
Tate Galleries collection and features a series of Warhol’s work at a dark period
of his life. Andy Warhol was shot in 1968 through a feminist author where he
was taken to hospital and pronounced dead. After he was revived and recovered,
Warhol decided to explore the topics of death, politics and the death of the
American Dream. This contrasts to the positive aspects that he is known for which
includes the celebration of consumerism, capitalism and the celebrity status. Both
of these subject matters contribute to the positive aspects of global industry and
reinforces my research taken from New York City as people travel to the city to
fulfil the American Dream but also contribute to the industrial society.
However, the aspect of the exhibition exploring the negative views of America
has contributed to the study of Justice well and how people felt around the
1960s. It gives an insight towards the freedom of expression and the justice
people felt within Global Industry. The exhibition has contributed to my
research analysis of my subject matters and how events within society effected industry
but also Justice. It gives me a view and insight towards how Andy Warhol felt
after traumatic events within his life. Also, it has given me the chance to
observe screen-print works which connects to the studies through a Textiles
perspective. It has allowed me to contrast with the studies gained within the
MoMA gallery of positive imagery compared to the negative imagery displayed at
the gallery. As it is a perspective that Andy Warhol is not known for it was interesting
to explore a different side and analyse the negative emotions displayed.
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| Entrance To The Building |
Scars was a series of photographs of the injuries Andy
Warhol gained from the attack which was a reminder of his life. The images were
taken of his torso and taken by Richard Avedon. It gives the impression of Andy
Warhol that has a figure of a Frankenstein appearance with features including
pale skin and monster body language with the covering of the stitches and
surgical features. It gives the impression of empathy and the scar that Warhol
felt after the attack. The stitches display the raw emotion and the memory that
Andy Warhol will maintain. Through the photographic perspective, it gives a
ghostly appearance which connects to the message of death and subject matter.
Self-Portrait is a series of photographs taken of Andy
Warhol that presented the way he looked throughout his childhood and at the
period of time it was taken. The colours of red displayed highlighted the
colour of acne and blotchiness faced. It gives the impression of covering up
and hiding his self-confidence about his body growing up as a child. This is
reinforced through “Camouflage” and the series of photographs and paintings
created around self-portraits. It emphasises the feeling and confidence that
Warhol felt about himself and relates back to the negative emotion from the
overall subject matter. Silkscreen portraits and the repeated process
highlighted the depth feeling he believed about himself whilst growing up.
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| camouflage design outlook |
After Andy Warhol was shot, the subject of mortality was a
highlight of his work through the stage of his life. Warhol was pictured with
dark profiles of being strangled and causing injury to himself. On display was the
repeated screen-print pattern of a skull obtained from a flea market by Warhol
in the 1970s. Andy Warhol was influenced by previous artists including the
works of Pablo Picasso who has also broken down the traditional subject matter
of skulls. It reflects the global subject of death and how it connects to everyone.
From observing the piece I felt the sense of eternity as Warhol has created the
piece of death and will be remembered and passed further towards the next
generation. The universal understanding of death captures the wider audience effectively.
He has described painting the skull as “a portrait for everybody in the world”.
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| Skull Outlook |
Throughout the gallery photographs taken in 1976 capturing
his life through the terms of death and inevitable death. He documented life
photography adding to a range of scrapbooks and photo albums. From observing
the record and understanding of the variety of images taken, it gives the
impression I believe that Andy Warhol is capturing death In a positive light. The
strong sense of immortality is displayed through the choice of records being preserved
and research that students like myself will be obtaining. From studying the
piece, I have discovered that Andy Warhol has repeated imagery and machine sewn
pieces together which is inspiration through a textiles student and perspective.
As I already have knowledge around screen-prints that Warhol has gained it was inspirational
to see further textiles elements incorporated into the traditional technique. The
context of photographs is interesting as Andy Warhol relates his work to familiar
subjects including religion, iconic landmarks, and the related subject of
death. This observation was inspirational as it captures the iconic landmarks
of New York City featuring the statue of liberty which relates to my global
emphasis of industry. However, the positive aspect contrasts with the negative
display of images of death, dead bodies and autopsies. Through the developed photographs
it gives the sense of monotone colours and the deep emotion felt towards the
end of Andy Warhol’s life.
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| Statue Of Liberty Piece |
The strong subject matter of “Death” is captured through the
exhibition with the repeated screen of empty electric chairs. At the point in
the time the electric chair was captured in 1963 It was a strong capital
punishment highly debated in America. It is a symbolic piece known across the
world in America and it was also a symbol of death for the criminals in
society. The sense of threat taken from the photograph contrasts with the
positive colours and scheme that Andy Warhol displays. I discovered that the original
image source has been gained from a newspaper in 1953 announcing the death of
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. I have previous knowledge of this subject matter as
they were accused of spying for the Soviet Union during the Cold War period. They
were presented as innocent but during the cold war period and the sense of
scare during the communism period they were sent to death to avoid the spread
of ideology within the capitalist movement. In 1990 it was revealed that they
were part of the Soviet Union but during the time and event it was taken place,
the term “red scare” was displayed across within society. The choice of colour
and aluminous display connects to the Medias display of the subject matter
compared to monotone and emotional colours that the electric chair displays.
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| Electric Chair in a series of colours |
A repeated display of ads and illustrations were shown
throughout the gallery which connects to my previous research gained from my
visited to the industrial city of New York. It was influence and inspiring to
see an artist’s perspective of how advertisements and promotion has taken over
America and especially the large global aspect of industry. Through the interpretation
of Andy Warhol he has expanded the knowledge of consumer advertisements and
adapted them towards controversial subjects of religion and war. The extreme political
views around the time taken through the cold war has been captured through Andy
Warhol simplistic drawings and illustrations. It gives a calmer approach compared
to the extreme tensions through politics and military. Through the division of
the United States Capitalist views and the world of communism through Soviet
Union, Warhol clearly displayed the division through maps and illustrations. The
strong capitalist and consumer views has been displayed through hand traced
silkscreens of hamburger advertisements connecting the presidency of Ronald
Regan. The images of war and religion has also been expressed within a consumer
perspective through engaging depth of line and illustrations. It concludes the
topics of justice faced within society and during the time in which Andy Warhol
was facing fears and negativity personally.
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| Gun Law Subject Matter |
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| Advertisements |
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| Consumer Advertisements |
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| Subject Matter Of Religion |
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| Religion Advertisement |
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| Cold War Tension |
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| cold war map |
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| energy and nuclear weapons study |
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| Religious Study |
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| Dollar Signs Symbol Of America |
In conclusion the Gallery Exhibition and visit can be
described through the words taken from the artist and a quote displayed in the space
“America always begins with moods, But the trouble with the moods is that they’re
always changing, somethings really fast. And when it happens, the movies
change, the babies change, the vote change, the decisions changed and America
Flip-flops into something new”. The description
of the American way is described well towards the audience and connects to my
understanding of the industrial country and how the American Dream can be a
failure. It reassures but also destroys peoples hope and confidence within society.
The research has been useful and the information will be included within my
sketchbook research and contribute to my artist studies further.
Throughout the gallery photographs taken in 1976 capturing
his life through the terms of death and inevitable death. He documented life
photography adding to a range of scrapbooks and photo albums. From observing
the record and understanding of the variety of images taken, it gives the
impression I believe that Andy Warhol is capturing death In a positive light. The
strong sense of immortality is displayed through the choice of records being preserved
and research that students like myself will be obtaining. From studying the
piece, I have discovered that Andy Warhol has repeated imagery and machine sewn
pieces together which is inspiration through a textiles student and perspective.
As I already have knowledge around screen-prints that Warhol has gained it was inspirational
to see further textiles elements incorporated into the traditional technique. The
context of photographs is interesting as Andy Warhol relates his work to familiar
subjects including religion, iconic landmarks, and the related subject of
death. This observation was inspirational as it captures the iconic landmarks
of New York City featuring the statue of liberty which relates to my global
emphasis of industry. However, the positive aspect contrasts with the negative
display of images of death, dead bodies and autopsies. Through the developed photographs
it gives the sense of monotone colours and the deep emotion felt towards the
end of Andy Warhol’s life. 
