I have never been able to resolve my feelings about Andy Warhol, and attending his museum in Pittsburgh only made my confusion worse. Eccentric genius whose very life was performance art? Arrogant prig, self-absorbed in his own belief he was genius? A phony? Maybe my confused perspective was his actual goal. (He even wore a gray-haired wig before he naturally grayed. Isn’t that pretty cooky?)
Here’s the source of my current angst: a banana necklace.
I traded a hula hoop from my Etsy store for a handmade lamp-worked glass pendant of a banana on a black background. The artist described it as reminding her of Andy Warhol’s banana art, which it kinda does, but more plants the seed in my mind that that’s what it is. I wear it with my ID necklace as kind of a totem. Life’s bananas, but it’s a performance art theater of the absurd participated in whether opting to or not.
When I feel on the verge of bananas, Andy Warhol reminds me to act my role in the theater of life. I can’t control bananas, but I can sculpt it to my own script, sans gray-haired wig.
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3 comments:
Warhol wasn't perfect, but he was a genius. He was the inspiration for many artists. To me, that's good enough. What I find particularly interesting is his perspective on culture and art and life. I like Marcel Duchamp for the same reasons, although Duchamp is my favorite of the two. Oh, and Warhol once said that he wasn't all that interested in sex because it took so much energy. Hmmm...
In historical context he broke from the pure abstract art to help return realism. Plus, he anothers of his artist group opened art up to marking art not in well defined art movements, but were artists could work in any style and not go along with the crowd. Like all artists, some work is master pieces, other works, not so much. After seeing 5 shows of his work, I have to say, I like his work.
Thank you for leaving insightful comments. Todd, I have *no* eartly idea how you came across this, but you and meinemo have offered contexts I didn't see. Anything I learn that I respect, thank you and thank you again.
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