Andy Warhol's 'Photo-Aesthetic' on Display at Queens College Museum until November

Andy Warhol is coming to Queens as part of an exhibition that examines the pop artist’s “photo-aesthetic,” including his use of silkscreens, Polaroid photographs, silver gelatin prints, and black-and-white print media. His pieces will appear with work by a famous Malaysian artist whom he greatly influenced. More information and photos after the jump.

Silkscreening is a printing technique involving an ink-blocking stencil and woven mesh. The art form’s origins probably trace back to the Song Dynasty in 10th century China, but it became popular in the United States after Andy Warhol‘s depiction of Marilyn Monroe just after her alleged suicide in 1962. His other famous silkscreens include images of Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, and even Campbell’s soup cans.

From September 11th to November 1st, the Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College will present Andy Warhol’s Photo-Aesthetic and Beyond, which highlights recent gifts from the Andy Warhol Foundation, including silkscreen portraits of Sitting Bull (above) and Muhammad Ali (below), as well as his take on the Brooklyn Bridge and the Cologne Cathedral and Ladies and Gentlemen, a 1975 piece from a series of portraits of New York City drag queens. These prints were made following the Pittsburgh native’s usual formula: a Polaroid portrait of the sitter or image was silkscreened onto paper or canvas and then embellished with silkscreen ink in a bright array of nearly psychedelic colors. 

Meanwhile, four large-scale digital photographs by Malaysian-born artist Chee Wang Ng will show next to Warhol’s work. In homage to his idol, Ng employs tongue-in-cheek humor—for instance, juxtaposing Campbell’s soup cans with bowls of rice, a classic Chinese image and metaphor.

By presenting images in different media side by side, the exposition allows viewers to move back and forth between Warhol’s art, work, and life while also seeing the man from the perspective of an Asian artist. The show includes an opening reception, two opportunities to tour the gallery with a Queens College art professor and two chances to walk through the gallery with Chee Wang Ng. (More info below.)

Details: Andy Warhol’s Photo-Aesthetic and Beyond, Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College, 405 Klapper Hall, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, September 11th to November 1st, gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 am to 7 pm, and Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm. Free.

Bonus details:

• Opening reception, Thursday, September 18th, 6 pm to 8 pm.
• Gallery tours with Queens College Assistant Art History Professor Edward Power, Thursday, September 18th, 7 pm, and Monday, October 27th, 3:30 pm.
• Artist’s walk with Chee Wang Ng, Thursday, October 9th, 6 pm, and Wednesday, October 15th, noon.

Photos: Godwin-Ternbach Museum