WARHOL REVISITED

By Manasi Joseph

All the Andy Warhol fans out there, here is an excellent opportunity for you to have a close look at the iconic silkscreen paintings and prints bythe prolific pop artist of the twentieth century.

The exhibition titled Andy Warhol Revisited: A Mirror for Today, located at 77 Bloor Street West, showcases some of the celebrated artworks of the pop artist which includes, right from his famous “Campbell’s Soup Cans” to the iconic silk screen portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Queen Elizabeth II and Jane Fonda.

Thanks to the Los- Angeles based Revolver Gallery for bringing this exhibition to Toronto. Revolver Gallery, founded by Toronto- raised entrepreneur Ron Rivlin, is an international gallery featuring the life and works of Andy Warhol.

American Pop Art

American Pop art was a visual art movement that became dominant in early 1960sand it is largely associated with the work of artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist and Claes Oldenburg.American Pop art is believed to have emerged as a reaction against Abstract Expressionism, the leading American Art movement of the 1950’s.

Pop artists drew on popular imagery like mundane subject matters including common household subjects and consumer products like Coca- Cola, Campbell’s Soup Cans as well as comics, newspapers, magazines and other mediums. In short, Pop artist’s reintroduced identifiable images, heavily drawn from mass media and popular culture.

Pop artists created or developed their works by using commercial techniques like silk-screening.

Andy Warhol and Pop Art

Andy Warhol, the father of Pop Art, was one of the most prolific and popular artist of his times, whose Silkscreen paintings and prints of the Campbell soup cans, the photograph of celebrities, world leadersand icons made him one of the most revered pop artists in the world. The power and beauty of popular culture is evident in his art works.

Warhol is a widely emulated artist and his artworks account for one-sixth of contemporary art sales. He is not only a cultural icon but also an inspiration to artists, designers and filmmakers across the globe.