<< Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1982 Polaroid™ Polacolor ER 4 1/4” x 3 3/8” << Marilyn, 1967 acrylic and silkscreen ink on paper 36” x 36”
friend, John Giorno, sleeping for six hours, he made a number of groundbreaking silent films including the eight-hour-long “Empire.” He is quoted as saying: “I never liked the idea of picking out certain scenes and pieces of time and putting them together, because ... it’s just not like life .... What I liked was chunks of time all together, every real moment ... I only wanted to find great people and let them be themselves ... and I’d film them for a certain length of time and that would be the movie.” Smith said many people relate to this exhibition because it’s rooted in pop culture. “Warhol seemed to presage many things that are prevalent in our culture today,” Smith said. “The idea of a selfie, if Warhol was alive today, may have been called a ‘Warhol-ogram.’ Reality television and the idea of turning a camera on and seeing what happens, that’s exactly what he was doing with his films.” To help visitors experience this, there is a booth where they can sit in front of a camera. The videos are posted to a microsite and can be accessed online. Many people who tried it out have found that it is hard to sit still for even a few minutes. In working closely with The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburg, Phoenix Art Museum was able to secure this exhibition of portraits. “This is a great opportunity to explore a single aspect of Warhol’s art, that spans the entirety of the artist’s career,” said Smith. Andy Warhol: Portraits Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave. March 4 through June 21 Wed.: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurs. through Sun.: noon to 5 p.m. Admission: $12-$15; $10 for students; $6 for ages 6-17; free for age 5 or younger and for museum members. 602-257-1880 phxart.org May 2015
Im age s A Z.c om
33