It seems like fate that an exhibition of one of my favorite artists would open across the street from our apartment, just weeks after we moved to Portland. It's as if the city knew that I needed a little cheering up. We've got Andy Warhol, life here is going to be okay! With bad weather,traveling, and other commitments, it took a few months for us to find a perfect day to head to the Portland Art Museum. Last Sunday, we bundled up and crossed the street.
Please take a second to admire my new rain boots that happen to match the exhibition poster. Thank You to my wonderful husband for my early Christmas present!
Here is the other half of the entrance to the Portland Art Museum. I've been staring at this sign since early September.
The exhibition is officially titled; Andy Warhol: Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation. It's a mouthful. The Schnitzer family are philanthropists and patrons of the arts, their name is all over Portland.
The first part of the exhibit showcased Warhol's early work, including many of his women's shoe designs. Admittedly, this wasn't very interesting to either of us. We were lured by The Velvet Underground song, Sunday Morning, that was playing on loop to usher us into the next part of the exhibition. Oddly enough, this was the only part of the exhibition that utilized music. Warhol is so associated with music and film, that the vibe of the exhibition would have benefitted from a more multi-media experience. I wanted to feel immersed in Warhol, rather than creeping through a silent gallery. An audio tour would have been fabulous.
We saw many of Warhol's famous themes: Marilyn Monroe, Campbell soup cans, bananas, et... I got a kick out of realizing that I hadn't heard of all of the varieties of Campbell's Soup. Does "Hot Dog Bean" still exist? What about "Pepper Pot?"
There was a dark, horseshoe shaped space, with JFK prints, accompanied by a detailed description of his assassination, the aftermath (LBJ'S Swearing in, JFK lying in state), and his funeral. Compared to Warhol's other works on display, the JFK exhibit was appropriately somber and reflective.
Speaking of somber and reflective, also on display was Warhol's famous electric chair series. I hadn't previous realized that the picture is of the electric chair from the Sing Sing Correctional Facility. It was the same chair used to electrocute Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
This self-portrait was located right near a small space with a warning sign of explicit content. I've not included pictures from the explicit section, but let's just say that it was an eyeful of close-up male genitalia. Nudity doesn't bother me, but we may have take a pause, said "Oh My", and turned around.
Dan wants these camo prints. I think they could work in our mountain cabin to compliment our deer head and antler chandelier. Modern hunter chic?
We both agreed that our favorite piece was this endangered species series. The Zebra, with its colorful stripes, was the winner.
Here is my favorite Warhol statement from the exhibition.
A few recognizable logos.
Warhol's famous, Gun.
The Mick Jagger series.
Shirts that are art. Not for sale. However, the Warhol section of the gift shop was fantastic, filled with unique items, like soap called "Fifteen Minutes of Foam", and Warhol postcards/prints that were not necessarily featured in the exhibition. One of my favorites is of Warhol and Debbie Harry in a kitchen. It's a posed shot, very odd and fabulous.
Here are the peach prints used in the exhibition advertising.
See the glitter? That's diamond dust!
Finally, me in the middle of all the Warhol-ness.
Andy Warhol: Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation, closes on January 1, 2017. Hurry up and get to the Portland Art Museum.