42.5 F
Reno

Warhol’s athletes series comes to NMA

Date:

iphone-2013-671-490x367-8162204-7213287

By Hope Loudon

In 1962, Andy Warhol made a name for himself by exhibiting images of 32 Campbell’s soup cans. Famous primarily for his remarkable ability to capture the pop culture of his generation through depictions of celebrities and consumerism, Andy Warhol was one of the founders of the movement known as Pop Art. From now until January 4, 2014, the Nevada Museum of Art is pleased to be exhibiting an influential but lesser known collection of Warhol’s paintings which feature sports icons from the 60s and 70s.

The exhibit Andy Warhol: Athletes features ten 40 X 40 inch paintings of athletes who Warhol’s friend Richard Weisman, to whom the paintings belong, chose for their abilities as well as for their rising popularity. These paintings are important because they represent American culture’s shifting celebrity obsession which grew to include athletes as well as film stars and politicians.

iphone-2013-679-225x300-3288261-1394086

Portrayed in brilliant colors and somewhat abstract forms, the athletes in the series were helped along by Warhol in becoming household names. Among those pictured are greats such as boxer Muhammed Ali, football star O.J. Simpson, and soccer player Pele. They are sometimes pictured with renditions of their sports equipment which can be difficult to identify. For example: Dorothy Hammil’s turquoise ice skate blends in with her collar line and its blade can resemble a pair of glasses at first glance.

One of the most expressive paintings is that of Muhammed Ali who stares fiercely as if challenging the observer, his right face partially obscured by the dark paint in the background. His clenched purple and green fists appear ready to strike.

Aside from the 1978 synthetic polymer and silkscreen paintings of the athletes, Warhol’s very different 1985 acrylic and silkscreen painting of Weisman is also

included. While each painting of an athlete contains blurred bright and unnatural colors, Weisman’s photo is relatively more life-like.

iphone-2013-685-225x300-4290440-5453428Andy Warhol was an enigma, but this exhibit helps visitors to see another side of him. As he famously said, “If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am. There’s nothing behind it.” His playful, vibrant, significant, and occasionally irreverent art defined his generation.

This collection was intended to bring art to sports fans and sports to art fans. Now, it brings history and color to Reno. See it alongside other worthwhile exhibits such as Frida Kahlo’s photos, Andrea Borsuk’s Leap of Faith, and the upcoming exhibit Franklin Evans’s timepaths. The museum at 160 West Liberty Street is open between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and until 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays. Prices are $10 for general admission, $8 for students and seniors, and $1 for children 6 to 12 years old.

 

ThisIsReno
ThisIsRenohttps://thisisreno.com
This Is Reno is your source for award-winning independent, online Reno news and events since 2009. We are locally owned and operated.

TRENDING

RENO EVENTS

MORE RENO NEWS