Andy Warhol - Joseph Beuys, 1980-1983
"For those who witnessed them approaching each other across the polished granite floor, the moment had all the ceremonial aura of two rival popes meeting in Avignon." - David Galloway, 1988
Another very strong exhibition at Thaddaeus Ropac this, documenting the meeting of two twentieth century titans of the American and European art worlds in 1979. Both artists were polar opposites in terms of their artistic philosophies and the aesthetic outcomes of their oeuvres, but each recognised the important self-mythology of the other and the respect each commanded within the art world. This is the first time that the portraits have been presented as a solo exhibition since they were initially exhibited in the 1980s. They contain all of Warhol's trademarks - repetition in the imagery, striking colours and the flatness of the screen-print technique, a celebrated subject, and his later use of diamond dust to give a magical sparkle to the celebrity. They present a powerful ensemble when displayed together as a group. I found the individual canvases of Beuys to be the most powerful here as he appeared to have such a haunting piercing gaze. The other exhibition Drawn into the Present: Portraits on Paper running concurrently with the Warhol portraits is a very strong exhibition in itself and features a lovely little imaginary sketch of Warhol on the telephone by Elizabeth Peyton which I couldn't help including (last image below). you may also like to read about Andy Warhol's textiles created earlier in his career (here).
Elizabeth Peyton - Andy on the Telephone, 1997
Andy Warhol: The Joseph Beuys Portraits
until 9th February
Thaddaeus Ropac London
Ely House
37 Dover Street
London
W1S 4NJ
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