GAYLETTER

I remember someone on social media saying, “do we really need another Warhol show now?” I thought the same thing for about a minute, but then I remembered — it’s Warhol. It’s got to be good. And if it isn’t, I can’t talk shit without seeing it. Warhol made a unique contribution to the art world and even if you are not a fan, you should probably see this one in person, otherwise you’ll sound like a hater.

I went to the show Andy Warhol — From A to B and Back Again and I am so glad I did. It’s the largest exhibition to date at the Whitney‘s new location, including over 350 works, many assembled together for the first time. The dazzling show is brilliantly curated by Donna De Salvo, Senior Curator and Deputy Director for International Initiatives, Christie Mitchell, Senior Curatorial Assistant, and Mark Loiacono, Curatorial Research Associate. “The exhibition positions Warhol’s career as a continuum, demonstrating that he didn’t slow down after surviving the assassination attempt that nearly took his life in 1968, but entered into a period of intense experimentation. The show illuminates the breadth, depth, and interconnectedness of the artist’s production.”

It’s a vast display; from his early commercial shoe illustrations, to the editorial covers under his direction at Interview magazine, through his instantly recognizable celebrity-obsessed pop-art, into his enigmatic later films, and including, of course, the infamous piss paintings — there’s something for everyone!

Andy Warhol (1928–1987), Superman, 1961. Casein and wax crayon on cotton, 67 x 52 in. (170.2 x 132.1 cm). Private collection. Courtesy of DC Comics. Superman © and ™ DC Comics. All rights reserved. © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS) NY.

Andy Warhol (1928–1987), Ladies and Gentlemen (Wilhelmina Ross), 1975. Acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen, 120 x 80 in. (304.8 x 203.2 cm). Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York.

Andy Warhol (1928–1987), ST309 Edie Sedgwick, 1965.  16mm, b&w, silent; 4.5 min. @ 16 fps, 4 min. @ 18 fps.  Pictured: Edie Sedgwick. © 2018 The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA, a museum of Carnegie Institute. All rights reserved.

Andy Warhol (1928–1987), Marilyn Diptych, 1962. Acrylic, silkscreen ink, and graphite on linen, two panels: 80 7/8 x 114 in. (205.4 x 289.6 cm) overall. Tate, London; purchase 1980 © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York.

Andy Warhol (1928–1987), Empire, 1964. 16mm, b&w, silent; 8 hrs., 5 min. at 16 fps, 7 hrs., 11 min. at 18 fps © 2018 The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA, a museum of Carnegie Institute. All rights reserved.

Andy Warhol (1928–1987), Elvis at Ferus, 1963. 16mm, b&w, silent; 4.0 min. @ 16 fps, 3.5 min. @ 18 fps © 2018 The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA, a museum of Carnegie Institute. All rights reserved.

Andy Warhol (1928–1987), Christine Jorgenson, 1956. Collaged metal leaf and embossed foil with ink on paper, 13 x 16 in. (32.9 x 40.7 cm). Sammlung Froehlich, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS) NY.

Andy Warhol (1928–1987), Campbell’s Soup Can over Coke Bottle, 1962. Graphite and watercolor on paper, 23 1⁄2 × 17 3⁄4 in. (59.7 × 45.1 cm). The Brant Foundation, Greenwich, CT © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York.

Andy Warhol (1928–1987), Before and After [4], 1962. Acrylic and graphite on linen, 72 1 ⁄8 x 99 3 ⁄4 in. (183.2 x 253.4 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from Charles Simon, 71.226 © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York.

Andy Warhol — From A to B and Back Again at the Whitney Museum of American Art, (99 Gansevoort St. NY, NY.) opened on November 12, 2018 and runs through March 31, 2019.