Daily Skiff

The art department now has Andy Warhol photographs on display from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City, the curator of the exhibit said.

Gavin Morrison, the curator, said the exhibit is called "Warhol and the Shared Subject" and will be on display in the Fort Worth Contemporary Arts gallery, which is located next to the GrandMarc on Berry Street, until Feb. 1.

The photos were received in summer 2008 and are a permanent donation to TCU, Morrison said.

The Warhol Foundation and its Photographic Legacy Program donated the photographs to more than 180 colleges and universities in order to commemorate Warhol's life, Morrison said.

He said the art department had to apply to receive the collection of photographs. In the application, Warhol's relationship with the Dallas/Fort Worth area was emphasized as well as the value the photographs will have to students and their studies.

Morrison said the exhibit is currently displaying 37 of the
157 photographs it received. Among the displayed photos
is a portrait of former professional golfer Jack Nicklaus, which is a part of Warhol's famous collection titled "Athletes
Series."

The collection the art department received contains a
spread of photos of famous people, such as actress and singer Carly Simon, people within the art industry, and photos titled "Unknown females."

"The portraits displayed how Warhol wasn't just interested
in taking photographs of famous people, but in making anybody famous," Morrison said.

Frances Colpitt, an art history professor, said Warhol was a founder of the pop art movement in the 1960s. She said he is known for his unique style and for always using two-dimensional print sources for his images.

Warhol is most famous for his paintings of a Campbell's soup can and his Marilyn Monroe series, she said.

Scott Sullivan, dean of the College of Fine Arts, said he thinks the donation of Warhol photographs will be a great learning tool for students. He said graphic design, studio art and art history majors will all find important things to take away with them from the Warhol exhibit.

"It will allow students to look at it, talk about it, learn from it, and then assimilate it into their own creative projects," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said that this was a wonderful gesture made by the Warhol Foundation, and it will benefit students for years to come.

Once the exhibit closes the artwork will be put in storage and used as a research tool for both students and professors in the art department, Colpitt said.

On Jan. 24, the gallery will host a "Bootleg Factory" party to pay homage to Warhol. Morrison said the party is open to the public and will consist of music and film screenings.

Article Tools