The Warhol
- Entrance to the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Last month, during a college tour of the city of Pittsburgh, I had the opportunity to visit the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, PA - a testament to this renowned artist in his very own hometown. All I really knew about Warhol was that he’s a pop art icon, a legend. “Warhol” instantly evokes images of a Campbell’s Soup Can or a neon Marilyn Monroe in your mind’s eye. The Andy Warhol Museum was certainly the place to learn more about the man behind these iconic images.
The experience:
A larger than life Andy Warhol greets you at the entrance of the museum – a stunning yellow and black silkscreen self portrait, hair askew. The traditional and recognizable style is indicative of the many more famous works inside, but also contrasts with the array of Warhol’s work that I hadn’t know of. We were advised by staff to first explore the intro gallery – essentially a walk-through timeline of Andy’s life – and then to proceed to the 7th floor, and work our way down. Of the many spaces and themes to explore, three spaces in particular stood out in my mind: a dark room full of small TV monitors, mounted to appear suspended in the space, a room of projected videos played simultaneously on several large screens, and lastly, a small space where Andy’s clouds were floating freely.
The first two spaces, ironically, pertain to video – a medium that is not easily displayed in the “static” manner that is typical in a museum setting. Both spaces created physical interaction between the viewer and the monitors or screens in space. As the viewer, it’s up to you to navigate through the space, where to direct your attention, and what to take out of the experience overall. Personally, I didn’t have any rhyme or reason to approach these galleries – I took a moment to survey the room, and led myself be drawn to the clips that interested me most. From both of these exhibits, we are able to taste Warhol’s passion for television and the concept of capturing life in real time. These snippets of life made “art” are perhaps examples of one of the most notable effects of Warhol’s work – his ability to recreate the mundane.
The third space that stood out in my mind also engaged the viewer in an interesting way – the room of Andy’s clouds. These silver pillow-like “clouds” float as if the air is heavy and the seconds are ticking by in slow motion – a visual experiences that is definitely untraditional, and quite honestly, difficult to put into words. For that reason, see it for yourself here!
Overall, my experience at the Warhol museum definitely redefined my perception of museums! I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the dynamic nature of video with the traditionally static displays in museums, and the way in which the museum captured the quirky spirit of Andy Warhol.
- Danielle
