A particularly distinguished artist once said, “My idea of a good picture is one that’s in focus and of a famous person.” That artist is Andy Warhol, and as of June 12, Columbia has the opportunity to see some of Warhol’s greatest, most focused pictures of famous people.
The Columbia Museum of Art opened its new exhibit “From Marilyn to Mao: Andy Warhol’s Famous Faces" on June 12. The exhibit explores America’s fascination with fame and fortune through some of Warhol’s best-known pop art portraits of celebrities.
"From Marilyn to Mao" focuses on 55 of Warhol’s most famous portraits of pop art’s most influential celebrities. Warhol’s message with this collection of art was to display America’s obsession with the idea of fame and to show the mass adoration for famous people just because they are famous.
The exhibition celebrates the Mao Suite, an anonymous gift to the CMA of the complete set of Warhol’s 10 silkscreens from 1972 of Mao Zedong, the chairman of the Chinese communist party.
Along with Mao and Marilyn Monroe, the exhibition includes the faces of Judy Garland, Muhammad Ali, Sigmund Freud, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mick Jagger and Superman, as well as two self-portraits by Warhol.
Andy Warhol is an essential influence to the pop art movement and one of the best-known 20th-century American artists. He used many types of media, including hand drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, silk screening, sculpture, film, and music. His work is iconic for artwork created in the '60s and '70s. The "From Marilyn to Mao" collection displays some of his most famous pieces and and gives accurate representations of his style.
The exhibition is filled with related evening and daytime programs for adults and families. On Saturdays at 1:00 p.m., the CMA offers a guided tour of the exhibit. The exhibit will be in the CMA until Sept. 13 and admission for students is only $5 with a student ID.
Additional information on prices, hours and other museum events can be found at http://www.columbiamuseum.org/