Past Exhibitions

Warhol in Southern Collections

July 14 - October 13, 2013

Third Floor Galleries

Andy Warhol was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He embraced popular culture and commercial processes to produce work that appealed to the general public. His artistic risks and constant experimentation in drawing, painting, printmaking, film, music, and video made him a pioneer in almost all forms of art. Warhol’s unconventional sense of style and eccentric personality helped him reach mega-star status, leaving a permanent impression on American culture and Modern art.

Most famously associated with the Pop Art movement of the 1960s, Warhol was a well known figure within the New York City counterculture. Pop Art was a reaction to the dominant post-World War II American art movement, Abstract Expressionism, which stressed emotionally-charged works that represented the artist’s psyche. Warhol and the other Pop artists, however, wanted to create work that was entirely devoid of emotion and free from human interference. They were drawn to printmaking techniques, particularly silk-screening, because of its mechanical, mass-produced effect. The Pop Art movement also marked an important breakdown between the worlds of high art and popular culture. Warhol’s screenprints of Marilyn Monroe, soup cans, and other popular culture images became synonymous with Pop Art and are still some of the most recognizable images ever produced.

Warhol in Southern Collections features over 100 works, produced during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, from museums and private collectors throughout the South. Life-size resin and acrylic sculptures of Andy Warhol created by contemporary artist Jack Dowd are installed at the entrance to the gallery.

This exhibition is made possible by the generous funding from the Norman S. and Emmy Lou P. Illges Foundation.