GLEN ELLYN (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - When you think of Andy Warhol, you may think of his colorful silk screen celebrity pieces, but there's so much more to what he created and influenced over his career.
"He is an example of the American dream. He came from rags to riches, first generation immigrants. He came from this tiny village, and he worked his way up. He was a graphic artist, a filmmaker, he was a music producer, he also published ‘Interview’ magazine,” said Diana Martinez, Director, McAnich Art Center.
“The Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop” features 200 original works on display inside the Cleve Carney Museum of Art.
"It's really the best of Warhol. We have the ‘Soup Can,’ the ‘Marilyn [Diptych], the ‘Icon,’ the ‘Muhammad Ali,’ the ‘Flowers,’ but then we have some of them that no one has seen before like the ‘Endangered Animal’ series, the ‘Sunset’ series, which is so pretty. It's like the greatest hits, but there are some surprises in there," said Martinez.
Spanning 11,000 square feet and 8 rooms, the exhibit is a one-of-a-kind.
"We want to give you this true museum experience. You get the historical exhibit, you get background and context as who he was as an artist, so when you go into the gallery, and you see the art you are really connected,” said Martinez. “When you go into the back area, that's more dedicated to things he loved like Studio 54, Central Park, New York City, animals, kids area, community, celebrities. The back area is the fun part of the exhibition."
Martinez said Warhol had a huge influence on pop culture.
"He was great at capturing the zeitgeist of what was going on in society and politics and putting it on paper and making art out of it. He said in the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes, and he was right with social media and reality TV. He was ahead of his time for sure," Martinez said.
The exhibit also includes a Studio 54 experience.
"We did our research. You walk in and you see a giant disco ball and the music of that time. The celebrities who are depicted were the regulars at Studio 54 who hung out with Andy like Halston, Liza Minelli, Cher, Elton John, The Jaggers, John Travolta. I also realized Jackie Onassis spent a lot of time at Studio 54. But, Andy didn't go there to just dance and party, he was a little older. He went to get commissions. That was a great place to sell a $50,000 painting. That was kind of work for him," said Martinez.
Communities across DuPage County have even welcomed and promoted the exhibit with various pop up public art.
"We started the Pop Art Challenge and we asked every single community in DuPage County to give us four of the most famous people from their communities. If you can give us your four, we'll create a public art installation, a mural in honor of Andy's icon posters for every town. We have 20 towns all who've had ribbon cuttings, installations, and they are all doing fun pop up events to participate in this special exhibition."
Martinez said Warhol was one of the most well known American artists, and he used different styles of art that attracted all types of people.
"He experienced a lot. He offered us a great gift because we could go in so many directions and have fun with it. His is our largest installation here at The Mac," Martinez said.
The Andy Warhol exhibit will be on display through September 10.
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