"13 Most Wanted Men: Andy Warhol and the 1964 World's Fair" examines the controversy surrounding Warhol's work commissioned for the facade of the Fair's New York State Pavilion. Known for using thickly layered brush strokes and bold palettes, Chuck Connelly's subjects have varied widely from religious imagery to cosmic visions, portraits, landscapes, and Victorian homes.
The Andy Warhol Museum proudly announces the opening of two special
exhibitions in September: one marking the 50th anniversary of a Warhol scandal at
the World’s Fair; the other being the first solo museum exhibition of a contemporary
expressionist painter with Pittsburgh roots.
Both exhibitions open at The Warhol on September 27, 2014.
13 Most Wanted Men: Andy Warhol and the 1964 World’s Fair examines the
controversy surrounding Warhol’s work commissioned for the facade of the Fair’s
New York State Pavilion, in which the artist chose to enlarge mug shots of
criminals. Fearing scandal, officials painted over Warhol’s mural days after it was
installed, leaving only a large silver panel visible when the Fair opened.
“The mural was an extraordinarily bold proposal for the pavilion. Warhol was in the
early stages of his career and the commission represented a high profile
opportunity,” explained Nicholas Chambers, the Milton Fine Curator of Art at The
Warhol. “However, rather than propose a Pop subject associated with his practice at
that time, such as Campbell’s Soup, he decided to depict a group of criminals
wanted by the NYPD.”
The present-day exhibition includes paintings Warhol produced later that year from
the same screens used to make the pavilion mural. It also contains documents and
ephemera that tell the back-story of the mural and the mystery of its demise.
“The exhibition looks at the material evidence relating to this unique episode in
Warhol’s practice. It draws on artworks and archival materials in an attempt to
unpack the circumstances surrounding the work’s conception and ultimate
censorship,” said Chambers.
13 Most Wanted Men: Andy Warhol and the 1964 World’s Fair was developed
collaboratively by The Warhol and the Queens Museum, which is located on the
grounds of the New York World’s Fair, about 200 yards from where Warhol’s mural
briefly appeared. This exhibition is made possible by The Henry Luce Foundation
and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Additional support is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural
Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor
Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
Delta is the official airline sponsor for 13 Most Wanted Men: Andy Warhol and the
1964 World’s Fair.
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Also opening in September, The Warhol presents Chuck Connelly: My America as
its contribution to the 2014 Pittsburgh Biennial.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1955, Connelly graduated from the Tyler School of Art,
Philadelphia, in 1977, and by the mid-1980s was recognized as a key figure among
the New York-based Neo-expressionist painters. Known for using thickly layered
brush strokes and bold palettes, his subjects have varied widely from religious
imagery to cosmic visions, portraits, landscapes, and Victorian homes from the
Philadelphia neighborhood where he now lives.
“He is a prodigious painter, working for nearly 40 years, which is why this first solo
museum show feels long overdue,” said Jessica Beck, The Warhol’s Assistant
Curator of Art, who arranged the exhibition along with Nicholas Chambers. My
America represents his personal story through the decades, shown in a progression
of works that interweave grand art historical themes with contemporary social
commentary.”
Critics have compared Connelly’s art to Soutine and Van Gogh, but his urban
landscapes also conjure the grittiness of the American realist George Bellows.
Connelly infuses an element of the surreal, seeming to portray untold narratives and
an otherworldly dimension.
“Chuck Connelly’s lush, heavily layered canvases remind us of the resilience and
force of painting. His surreal, uniquely tragicomic vision of the world is both
familiar and yet completely new and foreign,” said Beck.
The Pittsburgh Biennial is co-organized by Carnegie Museum of Art, Miller Gallery
at Carnegie Mellon University, The Andy Warhol Museum, SPACE Gallery,
Pittsburgh Glass Center, Mattress Factory, and Biennial founders Pittsburgh
Filmmakers and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Each of the eight partnering
institutions presents a distinct exhibition of work by artists connected to the
Pittsburgh region, reflecting each organization’s curatorial focus.
Support for the Pittsburgh Biennial has been provided by The Fine Foundation;
Hillman Family Foundations; the James L. Baker Memorial Fund, the Hollen
Bolmgren Fund, and the W. Alfred Turner Memorial Fund of The Pittsburgh
Foundation; Richard King Mellon Foundation; Highmark; and an anonymous donor.
EXHIBITION RELATED PROGRAMS:
In Discussion: Chuck Connelly: My America, with the artist and Jessica Beck,
Assistant Curator of Art
Saturday, October 18, 2014
2 p.m.
Warhol theater
Join us for a discussion with Assistant Curator of Art Jessica Beck and veteran
painter and Pittsburgh native Chuck Connelly. This program is presented in
connection with the exhibition Chuck Connelly: My America, The Warhol’s
contribution to the 2014 Pittsburgh Biennial.
Free with museum admission.
In Discussion: 13 Most Wanted Men, with John Giorno and Nicholas
Chambers, Milton Fine Curator of Art
Friday, December 12, 2014
7 p.m.
Warhol theater
Join us for a discussion with Nicholas Chambers, The Warhol’s Milton Fine Curator
of Art, and the highly influential poet John Giorno, the star of Andy Warhol’s 1963
film Sleep. The initiator of Dial-a-Poem (a poem recording project with a group of
writers including Frank O’Hara and Patti Smith) in 1968, and the subject of an
upcoming one-man exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, in 2015, artist and poet
John Giorno has been an inspired, influential catalyst and connector for generations
of New York visual artists, writers, and performance-makers. This program is
presented in connection with the exhibition 13 Most Wanted Men: Andy Warhol and
the 1964 World’s Fair on view September 27, 2014 – January 4, 2015 at The
Warhol.
Free with museum admission.
About The Andy Warhol Museum
Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the place of Andy Warhol’s birth, The Andy
Warhol Museum holds the largest collection of Warhol’s artworks and archival
materials and is one of the most comprehensive single-artist museums in the world.
The Andy Warhol Museum is one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.
Additional information about The Warhol is available at www.warhol.org.
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, located in New York City, and
The Andy Warhol Museum are separate entities that share a common goal of
protecting and furthering the legacy of Andy Warhol. The mission of The Andy
Warhol Foundation, a charitable foundation established in 1987 after Warhol’s
death, is the advancement of the visual arts. For more information about The Andy
Warhol Foundation, visit www.warholfoundation.org.
The Andy Warhol Museum receives state arts funding support through a grant from
the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; and The
Heinz Endowments. Further support is provided by the Allegheny Regional Asset
District.
About Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1895, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a
collection of four distinctive museums dedicated to exploration through art and
science: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie
Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum. The museums reach more than 1.3
million people annually through exhibitions, educational programs, outreach
activities, and special events.
Image: Andy Warhol, Most Wanted Men No. 12, Frank B., 1964, ©The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc., courtesy of The Andy Warhol Museum
Contact
Jessica Warchall
T 412.237.8351
E warchallj@warhol.org
The Andy Warhol Museum
117 Sandusky Street - Pittsburgh, PA 15212-5890
Hours: Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat, and Sun 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Fri, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Mon closed
Admission:
Members free
Adults $20; Children/Students $10
Good Fridays 5 – 10 p.m., half-price museum admission
The Warhol Store/The Warhol Café – free