The End: Analyzing Art in Troubled Times is a large group exhibition of contemporary artists that seeks to analyze the power of art in troubled times. As the stability of the United States economy continues to erode and as talk of a prolonged economic malaise spreads, everyone from the ruling elite to the man in the street worries with ever-increasing frequency about what might happen should this country—and perhaps the world beyond—spiral into economic collapse. The End confronts this hard-edged topic head-on. In addition, Warhol’s Death and Disasters, Skulls, Jackie, and Electric Chair series will be on view in the permanent collection galleries to explore Warhol’s own fixation and fascination with the theme of disaster. The contemporary artists included in the exhibition are Lida Abdul, Beth Campbell, Luis Camnitzer, Daniel Canogar, Castromori (Hiroshi McDonald Mori + Stefano Castronovo), Davis/Langlois, David Deutsch, Mary Beth Edelson, Karen Finley, Roland Flexner, Daniel and Geo Fuchs, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Lukas Maximilian Hüller, Rashid Johnson, Cary Liebowitz, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Jonathan Meese, Trevor Paglen, Hirsch Perlman, Raymond Pettibon, Jane Philbrick, Martha Rosler, Diane Samuels, Shelly Silver, Susanne Slavick, Althea Thauberger, Mitra Tabrizian, Banks Violette, Hugh Walton, Lawrence Weiner, Christopher Wool, and Aaron Young. The exhibition was curated by Eric C. Shiner, The Warhol’s Milton Fine Curator of Art.

Photo Information:
Robert Davis & Michael Langlois
La Petit Morte (detail), 2006, bronze on painted floor

This small retrospective of Warhol’s closest friend and confidant Brigid Berlin and the work she created from the 1960s to the present includes Berlin’s early Polaroids, tit paintings, trip books, black books, tape recordings, audio recordings and recent needlepoints that depict sensationalist covers of the New York Post. Berlin, the daughter of Richard Berlin, who was the director of the Hearst empire for 52 years, was raised in New York’s elite social circles. Berlin and Warhol met in 1964 and she quickly became a Factory regular and part of Warhol’s inner circle as well as a close personal friend. Berlin appeared in many Warhol films, including Chelsea Girls (1966), Imitation of Christ (1967), and The Nude Restaurant (1967), as well as numerous Factory Diaries episodes.

Also included in the exhibition are various Warhol photographs and ephemera from the Museum’s collection and archives relating to this rebellious New York heiress.

This exhibition includes 100 works by contemporary international artists utilizing 1:1 scale authentic prop replicas of the Darth Vader helmet used in the Star Wars films. Each helmet was a blank canvas for the artist to paint, design, and customize. These iconic helmets of the notorious movie villain were created by some of the biggest names in today’s pop surrealist and underground art scene including Shag, Peter Kuper, Attaboy, Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Dalek, Paul Frank, Ron English, Jeff Soto, Michelle Valigura, Frank Kozik, Wade Lageose, Joe Ledbetter, Alex Pardee, Suckadelic, Cameron Tiede, Michelle Valigura, Sunich, Mister Cartoon, Marc Ecko, Amanda Visell, and many more. The Vader Project was curated by Dov Kelemer and Sarah Jo Marks of DKE Toys, one of the largest designer vinyl and art-toy distributors in the world.

In addition to The Warhol’s grouping of these iconic helmets, approximately 15 works will be on view at The Carnegie Science Center during the duration of the exhibition.