Andy Warhol Artist Room Exhibition

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.



Gun Law Subject Matter

 

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Subject Matter Of Religion

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Cold War Tension

cold war map

energy and nuclear weapons study

Religious Study

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.