Andy Warhol at AGO

BY: Ines Valencia

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is hosting a major exhibition of Andy Warhol’s work this summer. The retrospective initially was scheduled to open in March but opened on Wednesday, July 21, and will run through October 24, 2021.

Andy Warhol (born Andrew Warhola in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1928) was a leading figure in the pop art movement. He is remembered for his unique vision and take on American society. Warhol’s work (which included painting, photography, video, sculpture, and more) reflected this vision as he explored the relationships and blurred the lines among popular culture, celebrities, and what can be defined as art. His practice never stopped evolving throughout his career, and he is still considered one of the most influential (and controversial) people in modern American history. As Kenneth Brummel, AGO’s Associate Curator of Modern Art, states: “Warhol came into the art world from the outside. And while his Pop works of the 1960s are the most famous, Warhol’s engagement with issues of identity, belief and desire in the 50s, 70s and 80s is as relevant and contemporary now as it was in the late twentieth century.” He never stopped experimenting with different media types and pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved through art.

The exhibit, titled Andy Warhol, has been organized by Tate Modern in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario, Museum Ludwig, and Aspen Art Museum. It features over 250 works and explores four decades of Warhol’s career, including his early drawings, iconic images of Marilyn Monroe, experimental films, the floating Silver Clouds (1966), and the large-scale canvas Christ $9.98 (positive/1986) from Munich’s Museum Brandhorst. Warhol’s sexuality is one of the most important themes explored in the show. Featured are some of the early male nudes he drew in the 1950s, as well as Sleep, a 1963 film that stars his lover, poet John Giorno, and his 1975 series of paintings Ladies and Gentlemen, memorializing members of New York City’s transgender community. Apart from these, other recognizable Warhol works will also be featured, including Marilyn Diptych (1962), 100 Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962), and Elvis I and II (1963/4).

Many of the works are on loan from museums and private collections across Europe and North America. The opening of this exhibition coincides with the reopening of the museum on July 21. Stephan Jost, the AGO’s Michael and Sonja Koerner Director and CEO, has stated that “After eight months, we are absolutely thrilled to reopen our doors. This time has served as a powerful reminder that art and culture are vital to our collective sense of wellbeing. I can’t wait to welcome our visitors in person again to see great art and reconnect with the ideas that inspire us.”

The exhibition is curated by Gregor Muir, Director of Collection, International Art, Fiontán Moran, Assistant Curator, Tate Modern; and Yilmaz Dziewior, Director, and Stephan Diederich, Curator, Collection of Twentieth-Century Art, Museum Ludwig, Cologne. At the Art Gallery of Ontario, Andy Warhol is curated by Kenneth Brummel, Associate Curator, Modern Art.