Andy Warhol exhibition opens at Fotografiska Tallinn
Friday evening sees a special opening event as a Tallinn gallery exhibition showcases photographic work, some of it never before exhibited publicly, by pop art legend Andy Warhol.
While perhaps best-known for his screen prints, Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a prolific photographer, Maarja Loorents, Head of Exhibitions at Fotografiska, in Tallinn's Creative City (Loomelinnak) district, notes, adding that: "Getting to exhibit Warhol's work here in Tallinn is a small miracle, as our scene and audience size is not comparable with those of other European capitals."
"The hard work paid off, and we managed to convince the owners of the Warhol collection that exhibiting in Tallinn would prove a success. The Tallinn exhibition is exciting, since it showcases photographs by the king of pop art, Andy Warhol, which have not been seen widely by the public," Loorents went on.
Warhol was wont to take a polaroid camera with him wherever he went, while many of the most famous screen prints – the Campbell's soup can, Marylin Monroe etc. – were based on photos.
Art collector Jim Hedges, who owns many of the works on display, said: "There is probably no other artist from the second half of the 20th century more significant than Andy Warhol.
"His work is the equal of Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse and even the old masters. I would venture to say that Warhol has influenced all the subsequent generations of artists. You can't fully understand contemporary masters like Christopher Wool, Jack Pierson, Elizabeth Peyton, Tracey Emin and other artists of their stature, without recognizing Warhol's influence," Hedges went on.
Prints on display will include those taken at "The Factory", Warhol's studio in New York City, and which attracted guests such as Lou Reed, and other members of The Velvet Underground, as well as Bob Dylan and David Bowie – the latter penned a paean to the former (or one to each of Warhol and Dylan in fact) for his 1971 "Hunky Dory" album.
The "Photo Factory" exhibition comprises four films and over 120 images, 20 of which have never been publicly displayed before.
Fotografiska's site is here.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: Fotografiska Tallinn