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07/29/2013 Visit Notes: My friend and fellow hiking partner, Blake Smith and I took in the Andy Warhol Exhibit at Bellagio’s Gallery of Fine Art. Though neither of us had ever been avid followers of his work, we both thought we would be remiss if we didn’t take the opportunity to view this collection from one of America’s most iconic pop culture artists. As I’m sure is true for most America’s who grew up in the 50’s and 60’s, I was familiar with some of his well known portrayals of consumer goods, like the “Campbell’s Soup Cans” on “Cow Wallpaper” (Fig. 01). I also remember seeing some of the his many celebrity portraits and self portraits, such as, one of my favorites, the Liz Taylor portrait (Fig. 03) and his “Double Elvis” series (Fig.04). One of its prints, Elvis playing a cowboy and aiming a gun at the viewer that can be read as a defense of celebrity itself, recently sold for more than $37 million.
Of course, it was his lessor know “Cowboys and Indians” series (Figs 01 & 05), one of his last works created in 1986, shortly before his death that I was unfamiliar with, that drew my most attention. During this time, Warhol became engaged with the stories, myths and legends of the American West and America's popular version of Western history. For this series he depicts American heroes of the West by paying homage to General Custer, Teddy Roosevelt and Geronimo, and Western entertainers; Annie Oakley and John Wayne. His depictions of the Indian Head Nickel, Plains Indian Shield, Mother and Child, Kachina Dolls, and Northwest Coast Mask are examples of romanticized, stereotyped and exploited images of American Indians. Strategically placing icons such as General Custer, Annie Oakley and Geronimo together in one portfolio, these ten silkscreens were intended to challenge and expose the controversies surrounding America's perception of cowboys and Indians. One of Blake’s favorites was titled 'Mother and Child” (Fig. 06) – a signed limited edition of which recently sold for $19,000. My favorite from this portfolio was the Geronimo portrait (Fig. 07). I feel the intense expression that he captured in this portrait shows the sadness and anger that America Indians suffered at the hand of the “white man”. The American West often has given rise to myths and legends. It is one of the elements that keep the idea of the West alive from generation to generation. Warhol with "Cowboys and Indians" has deftly tapped into that vast reservoir of powerful images that somehow relate to reality, but also mystify it.
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Exhibit Notes: Organized in partnership with The Andy Warhol Museum (see Footnote (1)) in Pittsburgh , “Warhol Out West,” presents 59 of the iconic pop artist’s works, and features a rare look at his “Cowboys and Indians” series, as well as his classic 1960s pop paintings of consumer products and celebrities and his 1980s advertisement series. The exhibits on display span the breadth of the diverse mediums Warhol worked in, including paintings, photographs, screen prints, wallpaper and sculpture.
It was Andy Warhol (see Footnote (2)) who made the remark that 'Everyone Will Be Famous for 15 Minutes.' 26 years after his death, this exhibition is proof that his fame far exceeded that. Probably best known for the famous people and consumer products he painted during the '60s; three works from what is possibly his best-known series — paintings of Campbell’s soup cans — are among those on display. His unconventional portraits of Elvis Presley and Elizabeth Taylor Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Sylvester Stallone and of course, Marilyn Monroe are all part of this multi-million dollar collection of paintings. 12 Paintings from his lesser-known series called “Cowboys and Indians” features images from the American West that were created with Warhol’s flair for and appreciation of popular culture. In this series, poignancy reigns, particularly in the portraits of Native Americans. Here, as elsewhere, the ultimate artist of cheerful surface actually has a deeper message about the myths of American identity for us to consider. The John Wayne image (Fig. 08) in this series is taken from a publicity still that was made to promote John Ford's great Western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. That movie is about appearance and reality, about the power of legend over the truth, epitomizing the story behind Warhol’s "Cowboys and Indians" series.
At a time when top international artists were struggling to express inner thoughts and feelings through abstract paintings, Warhol caused an uproar by serving straight-up Americana. He got the glam, too. Warhol was fascinated by celebrity faces; he drew, painted, photographed and filmed the famous from the late ’50s until his death in 1987.
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