AMSTERDAM.- Amsterdam is the centre of Pop Art this summer. During July, August and September 2017, the Pop Art collection of media entrepreneur Lex Harding is exhibited in the Beurs van Berlage. In addition to the extensive collection of screen prints by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring and other Pop Art representatives, almost all album covers that Warhol made in 1960-1987 are shown, as well as posters, signed books and other works on paper. A large part of the unique exhibition is formed by screen prints, there are more than 100 from Warhol alone.

Pop Art is an art form that originated in the early sixties of the last century. “I was 20 years old and aware of the Pop Art evolution,” Harding explains as he unfolds his plans. “Take the iconic banana of the cover of the first album of The Velvet Underground from 1967. The album is hardly known these days, but after almost 50 years, the image of the banana has not lost its strength.”

The Factory
Part of the exhibition is set up like the famous “Factory” in New York, Andy Warhol’s studio. Visitors can see how a silk screen is created. Also a series of pictures is shown of Warhol’s ‘personal photographer’ Nat Finkelstein made in the ‘60s in the “Factory”.

PopArt and Amsterdam
“When I was assembling the exhibition I searched for links between PopArt and the Netherlands. I came across the Dutch gallery owner George Mulder, he passed away last year, a close friend of Andy Warhol, and publisher of the series ‘Reigning Queens’ – four different images of four reigning queens in 1985, of which Queen Beatrix is best known to us of course. From George’s legacy, besides letters from Andy and George, I have also purchased some serigraph prints with unique colours. During the exhibition a total of 22 Queens are shown, of which 10 are Beatrix. I also found a booklet that Warhol sent to Queen Beatrix in 1985 with the message: ‘To your majesty Queen Beatrix, love, Andy Warhol, June 85, N.Y.’ I asked the ‘Koninklijke Verzamelingen’ to borrow the booklet for the duration of the exhibition.”

The link with the Netherlands is also reflected by a beautiful portrait of Warhol, made in 1982 by the Dutch photographer Patricia Steur. She also made a picture of Keith Haring, painting a huge artwork in 1986 at the central market halls in Amsterdam. Besides a large number of screen prints of Roy Lichtenstein, an original poster is exhibited of an overview exhibition in 1967 in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

Mick Jagger
The exhibition shows a number of the most well-known PopArt screen prints of the last century. Harding: “I do not always aim for complete series, but usually only the most beautiful ones; of Mao, Marilyn, Muhammed Ali, Campbell Soup and Mick Jagger. Of the latter there are 10 different prints of which I have 9. I hope to acquire the 10th before the exhibition or to borrow it from someone. That would be the cherry on top.”

As a reason for the exhibition, Harding says: “ At home only a few people can enjoy it. Art shouldn’t be kept behind closed doors, but must be seen, preferably by as many people as possible.”