Andy Warhol, “Revelation“
The Brooklyn Museum, NY
November 19, 2021–June 19, 2022
Although Andy Warhol is one of the most celebrated and recognizable artists of the twentieth century, his Byzantine Catholic upbringing and its profound impact on his life and work remain a lesser-known facet of his career. This exhibition seeks to examine the iconic Pop artist’s complex Catholic faith in relation to his defining artistic practice, bringing together key works and rarely seen objects that explore the lived tensions between Andy Warhol’s spiritual upbringing and his avant-garde life as an out gay man.
Growing up, Warhol attended multiple weekly services at his local church with his mother, Julia Warhola. He is said to have stared at the paintings of Christ for hours and the saints that hung in the elaborate icon screen at the front of the nave. Life revolved around the church community for the Warhola family, and the young artist makes his impact from this environment deeply known in his artwork. Using Warhol’s rich holdings of his earlier works, the exhibit traces the influence of his religious roots in Pittsburgh, leading to his Pop career in New York City.
Revelation examines themes such as life and death, power and desire, the role and representation of women, Renaissance imagery, family and immigrant traditions and rituals, depictions and duplications of Christ, and the Catholic body and queer desire. Among the more than 100 objects from the museum’s permanent collection are rare materials and newly discovered items that provide a fresh perspective on Warhol’s creative process.
Andy Warhol: “Revelation” is organized by the Andy Warhol Museum and curated by José Carlos Diaz, Chief Curator. The Brooklyn presentation is organized by Carmen Hermo, Associate Curator, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn Museum.
ANDY WARHOL’S MOST NOTABLE WORKS:
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
