Warhol Live: Soaking Up the Sixties Through Pop

By Tina Lee
Staff Writer

Warhol Live
The de Young Museum
Golden Gate Park
February 14 - May 17
www.famsf.org

He has been described by some as an artistic genius, brain child and forefather of the 60’s Pop Art movement. It was an era when mainstream commercialism, Hollywood iconic figures and mass production began to define American culture, and modern rock was breaking into the American music scene. He has been described by others as a smart aleck, compiling random pieces of junk and kitschy advertisement-like silkscreen prints. To his critics, he will always be an imposter whose work demonstrates complete utter lack of artistic talent and vision. The undeniable energy and fluid artistic identity of during Warhol’s time was captured perfectly in the de Young Warhol exhibit, opened last week on Valentine’s Day.

To truly appreciate Andy Warhol’s work, you have to imagine yourself five or six decades ago when art that was featured in galleries was produced on traditional media and mediums: sculptures molded from clay, glass, precious metals or paint on canvas. This was called “High Art.” In contrast, “Low art” was considered to be student grade materials (think crayons on lined paper), commercial print advertisements, textile prints or collages. Earlier in the century, Pablo Picasso and his modernist contemporaries already challenged conventional academics to accept Low Art, in the form of cartoon-like abstract, cubist painting into High Art. You could say if Picasso looked over the edge into how popular art could be appreciated, Warhol dove head first by featuring large scale reproductions of Brillo pad cartons to leave art connoisseurs with their jaws dropped and speechless.

The infectious excitement of the Pop art scene was fully reproduced this past President’s Day weekend as fans gazed at his most renowned works while listening to the hits of the 60’s. These works include silkscreen reproductions of Hollywood legends: Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Debra Harry, Liza Minnelli and Mick Jagger.

No one can forget the Campbell’s Soup silkscreen print, a critique not only of American culture suffocating individuality with mass production but also of the Art world about negating the elevation of advertisement print media into High Art.

Many of these works were created by Warhol in the Silver Factory. The Factory was a studio where celebrities, rock stars and socialites gathered to contribute to the creative process and party into the night. This exploration included directing black and white films, some starring his muse, dancer and socialite Edie Sedgwick. Clips of these estranged movies were featured on retro television screens.

Another highlight of the exhibit were the artifacts of Warhol as a producer for the band, The Velvet Underground. The display included tour advertisement posters, studio recording session photographs and original electric guitars. Lit under revolving strobe lights, plush lounge futons were available for you to rest and soak in the music playing in the background.

In short, the Warhol exhibit can make a great “it’s never too late for V-day’ date, assuming both of you are curious about Pop Art. Just skip renting any 60’s movie, and spend the money on the real thing at the exhibit.