PITTSBURGH, PA.-New and recent work from ten acclaimed contemporary artists, many never before shown in Pittsburgh, will be on view at The Andy Warhol Museum from February 20 through May 1, 2005 as part of a new exhibition entitled, Seeing Double: Encounters with Warhol. Featured will be a diverse group of artists whose work explores themes and ideas that were central to Andy Warhol’s artistic practice. Through painting, drawing, photography, video, performance art, fashion, and collaborative projects on view throughout The Warhol’s seven floors, Seeing Double will demonstrate how Warhol’s legacy continues to influence and shape the style and content of the work of a new generation of artists.
“As a component of the Museum’s 10th anniversary exhibition series, we felt it was important to take an in-depth look at how Warhol’s influence continues to resonate in the contemporary art world,” says John Smith, The Warhol’s assistant director for collections and research and a co-curator of the exhibition. “Rather than look strictly at artists who have been stylistically influenced by Warhol, we wanted to include work where the Warholian impulse is more subtle, or conceptual even. While this exhibition is by no means comprehensive, we have drawn from a broad range of both media and artistic practices.”
The artists: Mike Allred - Mike Allred is a comic book artist whose work is a mixture of 1950s science-fiction pulp films and superhero comics in the tradition of Jack Kirby. His comic, Vertical, on view in the exhibition, is loosely based on two characters from Andy Warhol’s Factory studio who try their hands at stardom and find themselves along the way.
Antony and the Johnsons - Fusing lush and dramatic chamber pop sounds with a torch-song cabaret sensibility, Antony and the Johnsons have risen to critical acclaim for their emotive form of performance theater. Antony and the Johnsons will perform live at The Warhol on Saturday, February 26 at 8 p.m. in conjunction with the Off the Wall series.
Assume Vivid Astro Focus - Brazilian artist Eli Sudbrack, a.k.a. Assume Vivid Astro Focus, defies traditional concerns over appropriation and authorship to revel in the power of found images and nostalgia. His installation pieces reveal diverse artistic and cultural influences ranging from Tibetan paintings, to coloring books, to Bauhaus tapestries.
John Bankston - San Francisco artist John Bankston, creates watercolor wash paintings and colored pencil drawings reminiscent of coloring book motifs. Masked in the nostalgia of childhood, his works draws on slave narratives, fairy tales and homoerotic imagery to deconstruct issues of race and sexuality.
Carnegie Mellon University School of Art - Andy Warhol graduated from Carnegie Mellon University (then CarnegieTech) in 1949. Current CMU School of Art undergraduates and graduate students are exploring his legacy with faculty member and artist Michelle Illuminato. Projects will respond to Warhol's art, particularly his Time Capsules and his creative practice of collecting, leading to performances and site-specific installations in the Museum and around Pittsburgh.
Kota Ezawa - An up-and-coming artist based in San Francisco, Kota Ezawa simplifies famous footage such as the O.J. Simpson trail and the film, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? into hand-executed computer animation reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s portraits. The resulting figures are flattened silhouettes, their movements and gestures smoothed out to the essence of body language.
Tracey Moffatt - Highly regarded for her experimentation in photography, video and film, Tracey Moffatt is one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. Her works often reference the history of art and her own childhood memories and fantasies, while exploring issues of race, gender, sexuality and identity.
Rob Pruitt - Rob Pruitt is a New York based artist who uses recycled pop culture as a constant source in his work. His recent work includes paintings of Paris Hilton and 101 Art Ideas You Can Do Yourself, in which Pruitt presented a little book of 101 ideas for art pieces that most anyone could make with stuff laying around the home.
Collier Schorr - A noted photographer based in New York City, Collier Schorr’s conceptual images explore gender, identity and the nature of opposites. Best known for her portraits of teenage men and women, Schorr’s photographs often blend photo-realism with elements of fiction and youthful fantasy.
Jeremy Scott - Outfitting style mavens such as Bjork, Cameron Diaz and Madonna, fashion designer Jeremy Scott has built up a loyal following of fashion icons, socialites and celebrities thanks to his vivid imagination and diva-friendly designs. His farcically-themed runway shows have taken inspiration from S&M leather culture, mermaids and sea monsters, featuring wild designs incorporating trash bags, dollar bills and one-legged pants.
