The Home of the Arts (HOTA) on the Gold Coast in Australia has hosted several exhibitions of international artists; however, their current exhibition, Legends of Pop: Art from the Mugrabi Collection (New York), is a truly sublime experience. Unsurprisingly, the gallery is taking such pride in this exhibition, which also happens to be ideally suited to the Pop Art-inspired exterior of the HOTA building.
A pride that emanates from every member of the staff. From the enthusiastic person who greeted us at the door to the eager gallery attendants offering morsels of information about each piece of art. So eager were they to share their knowledge with each guest that I found myself swept up in their excitement. These insights were wonderful and allowed me to go above and beyond the wall descriptions and enhance my experience of the exhibition. I’m sure that I’ve mentioned before that modern art is my favourite genre of art, and Pop Art is particularly special for me due to its engagement with popular culture and its ability to speak to current issues we may be experiencing in society but are as yet unable to put into words.
For those wanting to know the difference between the two. Modern art generally refers to works produced from the late 19th century until the 1960s and is characterised by a departure from traditional styles and techniques, as well as an emphasis on experimentation and individual expression. Pop Art is considered a movement within the larger genre of modern art. Pop Art emerged in the 1950s and 60s, as a movement that emphasised the use of popular cultural imagery and objects, often in a playful and ironic way, to critique and comment on societal values and norms.
Walking into the HOTA’s Legends of Pop exhibition, you are immediately immersed in the world of Andy Warhol. The first thing that caught my eye was a quote by Warhol: “Art is anything you can get away with.” I've thought about this quote a lot since then. In some ways, Warhol seems to be mocking the institutions which elevated him to icon status. As I walked through the exhibition and attributed meaning to his artwork, a small nagging part of me looked at some of his pieces as almost amateurish, a child's collage poster hung on their wall. But, when I think of all his years working as a commercial artist, that line between pragmatic and artistic seems to be his greatest asset. He was an artistic genius, but he also recognised some of the inherent bullshit existing within the art world, especially from those who would place themselves in the position of gatekeeper.
This seems to set the tone for all of Warhol’s work. I recently wrote a summary of his life and career, and my takeaway from the hours and hours of research that I did on Warhol, was how bold he was as an artist. He wasn’t afraid to experiment, push boundaries, to challenge societal norms or expectations around who he was meant to be.
On the outside, he seemed to live a truly authentic existence, which I think explains much about his success in his lifetime. And why he was such a huge inspiration for the Pop Art movement.
Pop art transforms everyday objects and ideas into the extraordinary. Warhol was particularly adept at using images from commercial or popular culture to create artworks that pushed the boundaries of what could be called art.
Dollar Bills by Andy Warhol
One of the first artworks of the exhibition is a piece from Andy Warhol’s Dollar Bills series was Warhol’s first time experimenting with the silk-screening method. If you take a closer look at the bills, you will notice that he hadn’t yet mastered the technique of transferring photos onto the screens. Instead, he applied his skills as a draughtsman and drew the images with great care. What’s interesting about Warhol’s art, and a hallmark of Pop Art, is how he critiques consumer culture. Warhol clearly understood the relationship between art and money. And with Dollar Bills, Warhol knew that the value of his paintings would far exceed the total amount of money depicted on the canvas. He was able to simultaneously embrace and critique the subject matter he portrayed.
Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli by Andy Warhol
The exhibition also showcased Warhol’s artistic technique of using multiple images of popular icons to create unique artwork. Among the exhibits were two examples of his method: Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli, and Sixteen Jackies. Warhol’s fascination with fame and celebrity culture is well-documented, and he regarded celebrities as modern-day gods and goddesses. Through his art, he elevated them to mythical status, leaving an indelible mark on pop culture.
Apart from exploring the concept of celebrity culture, Warhol also delved into the idea of mass production and consumerism. With the rise of mass media and commercialism, people were becoming desensitised to images, and the appreciation for art was waning. Warhol’s use of repetitive images of celebrities was a poignant comment on how images were becoming commodified and consumed like any other product.
By using repetition as a tool, Warhol questioned the notion of individuality and identity in a rapidly homogenising society. He wondered whether there was any such thing as unique or individual identity. Through his art, Warhol highlighted the idea of individuality in a world where people were losing their identity to the forces of mass production and consumerism.
Sixteen Jackies by Andy Warhol
Death and disaster were recurring themes for Warhol. One of the best examples of this is Sixteen Jackies. Warhol transforms one of the darkest events in American history, the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy (JFK), into a powerful artistic symbol. Warhol was fascinated by the relentless coverage of JFK’s assassination, and appropriated images of Jackie Kennedy to create this artwork.
Sixteen Jackies is comprised of 16 individual canvases that follow Jackie Kennedy from her arrival in Dallas, through the motorcade, Lyndon Johnson’s inauguration, and finally to her grief-stricken appearance at JFK’s funeral. This artwork is a mediation on death and the immortality of celebrity, highlighting the spectre and spectacle of death. Sixteen Jackies, whilst not entirely a continuation of Warhol's Death and Disaster series, can be seen as a continuation of Warhol's critique of the media's treatment of tragedy and celebrity, but from a different angle. By focusing on Jackie Kennedy's public mourning and the media's coverage of it, Warhol highlighted the role that the media plays in shaping our perception of events and individuals.
Are there other artists or artworks you feel are making similar statements today? Please feel free to leave a comment down below, I would love to read your thoughts.
I hope that you have enjoyed part 1 of my summary of the HOTA Pop Masters exhibition. While I want to cover everything in detail, I don't want to make it too long. I will publish part II next week, so be sure to subscribe and not miss out on more insights and analysis of the exhibition.
To give you a sneak peek, I have included a few images below that you can look forward to in part II.
