Andy Warhol: Evolution of the Pop Icon
When it comes to cultural icons, the artist Andy Warhol is among the world’s most recognizable. Warhol’s impact on pop culture is undeniable—he not only exposed it, he helped create it. From May 20 through September 18, The Fralin Museum of Art will present Andy Warhol: Icons, a special exhibition featuring some of the Pop Art master’s most acclaimed works. The exhibition will spotlight several pieces gifted to the Museum in 2014 from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Rebecca Schoenthal, Curator of Exhibitions at The Fralin explains, “This exhibition examines what has become a very fluid definition of the concept of an icon, from the Renaissance religious image to an American movie star, to Warhol himself.” Another highlight, she said, will be the inclusion of a 15th-century panel painting attributed to Piero della Francesca, on loan from the National Gallery of Art. This image served as the model for Warhol’s Saint Apollonia (1984), the entire series of which will also be on display. Warhol fans will also find staples of the artist’s work, including traditional pop icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minnelli, and even some of his signature soup cans. Due to the significant interest in the legendary artist’s work, the Museum has extended its traditional run for the exhibition, in order to garner as wide an audience as possible for this unique experience.