Archive for December 22nd, 2008

Review: Warhol and the Shared Subject: works by Andy Warhol, Rineke Dijkstra, Douglas Gordon, CS Leigh, and Tony Scherman

22nd December

2008

written by admin

The Art Galleries at TCU, 20 December 2008 – 1 February 2009

By Dean Cassella

Attendance at Friday night's opening was considerable, guests enjoying both the art and an open bar.

The producers of this exhibition have adopted an interesting strategy for engaging the public in the work of contemporary artists. No matter what one thinks of “modern” art, it is unquestionably the case that the name Andy Warhol and the style of his work have become iconic. Warhol died in 1987, and the work he is best known for was done about 40 years ago, so he can hardly be described as contemporary artist. Yet by including his name in the exhibition title and tempting the would-be viewer with a chance to see some of his original works (on canvas and photographs), he or she is introduced to a number of contemporary artists whose work is in dialog with Warhol’s. The idea is successful, and leads to a satisfying gallery visit, not least of all because it follows the classic didactic strategy of taking the viewer from the known to the unknown in a relatively painless way.

A silk screen portrait of Shaindy Fenton, a Fort Worth socialite and art dealer, is Warhol's largest piece in the show.

A silk screen portrait of Shaindy Fenton, a Fort Worth socialite and art dealer, is Warhol's largest work in the show.

The “Warhol” goods in the show consist of a group of polaroids, shot by the artist and one canvas, a portrait of Fort Worth art dealer Shaindy Fenton. The photographs usually come in pairs or fours, and have the feel of those pictures you can have taken in a booth at train stations (think the movie “Amelie”). Many of the subjects are glamour icons, and the casual nature of the medium often renders their features mundane, but with a hint of their potential to dazzle, if the requisite trouble were taken. This makes for an interesting conflict between what the viewer expects and what he gets—an effect anticipated by the show’s producers, who inform us in a printed handout that “we become engaged in a relationship between the representation of the subject, our existing knowledge of the subject, and artist, and ourselves. It is in this space that the meaning and sense of the portrait is arguably established.”

: Most of Warhol’s works in the show consist of Polaroids of friends and celebrities like this one of New York designer Halston.

Dutch artist Reineke Dijkstra seems to turn the effect of the Warhol pictures on their head. A catalog of some of her work is available for viewing, which consists of carefully produced portraits of very mundane people looking extremely awkward—sort of like the snapshots you choose not to have printed—in effect, the glamorizing of the mundane, rather than the “mundanizing” of the glamorous. The effect is further developed in Dijkstra’s contribution to the show, “The Buzz Club, Liverpool, England/Mysteryworld, Zaandam, Netherlands,” which consists of projections of young people filmed in back rooms at night clubs.

Many are trying to be glamorous in their own way, but don’t quite succeed, especially since they are largely out of their element (the dance floor), yet are close enough still to feel like they should be “doing their thing.” I must say that I found the whole thing quite interesting, although it is hard articulate why.

British artist Douglas Gordon’s contribution to the exhibit are works in the medium listed as “smoke and mirror” from his series “self portrait of you + me, after the factory.” These consist of images of Warhol silkscreen images that have been partially burned and then mounted on mirrors. The effect is the mingling of the Warhol work with a portrait of yourself. Dijkstra could have had a field day, filming people awkwardly looking into the paintings.

: Detail from “Brando as Napoleon,” a heat-treated painting by Tony Scherman

Toronto artist Tony Scherman’s contribution to the exhibit includes two paintings from his “The Junkies” series. These images are in keeping with the “tearing down” tendencies in modern art. They consist of iconic portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando (Warhol, again), but with a decidedly dark and foreboding palette. Scheman has partially burned the paint after application, the effect of which is to melt partially the image. Here, we are in the familiar territory of deconstructing sacred cows, with little in the way of constructive alternatives.

Over all, the exhibit is well worth the investment of time. Take a date; armed with the information I have provided you, you are sure to score some brownie points during dinner and drink chat. You might try for one of those exotic restaurants on Magnolia Boulevard in the Near Southside – the exhibit seems to be one which would lend itself to alternative food experiences.