Organized and produced by Wu-Shan, Inc. (Jeff Gordon and Path Soong), the exhibition features silkscreen prints and original recordings, ranging from spoken word to music and sound, created by a diverse roster of artists, writers and performers who knew, worked with, were associated with or were inspired by Andy Warhol.
FIFTEEN MINUTES: HOMAGE TO ANDY WARHOL
October 1, 2011 – January 8, 2012
Included are Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Ivan Karp, Billy Name, Ultra Violet, Lawrence Weiner, Carter Ratcliff, John Giorno, Vincent Freemont, Alexander Heinrici, Brigid Berlin, Christopher Makos, Yura Adams, Nat Finkelstein, Connie Beckley, Susan Breen, Path Soong, and Jeff Gordon.
Gordon, who knew and admired Warhol, first conceptualized the idea of producing recordings (spoken word, sound pieces, music) by visual artists in the early ’80s, while he was the co-owner of the Greene Street Recording Studio. His first endeavor, Revolutions Per Minute (1982), packaged 20 of these recordings on a double LP, in a box with 20 visual prints by the 20 artists. The idea turned into a traveling exhibition, and the boxes were purchased by art world collectors, museums, galleries, and audio connoisseurs and serves as a precedent to the FIFTEEN MINUTES travelling exhibition and box set.
This exhibition juxtaposes each artist’s 12 x 12 inch (album sized) visual image with an audio work created in homage to Warhol. For instance, Patti Smith’s poem, “Edie,” muses on the life and death of Warhol Superstar Edie Sedgwick. Nat Finkelstein’s screen printed photograph shows Warhol and Dylan in the Factory with one of Warhol’s Elvis paintings in the background. In his song, “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” Dylan critiques the Warholian notion of fame and success. Gordon’s screen print modifies one of Warhol’s Brillo Box sculptures as a visual analogy to his sound piece, which loops excerpts from a Warhol interview and lasts for the proverbial 15 minutes.
The FIFTEEN MINUTES Box, sponsored by Sony and released through Sony’s Legacy Recordings on August 6th (Warhol’s birthday), is available for sale in both Deluxe Edition and Regular Edition versions. The Deluxe box, an edition of 85, contains 16 signed and numbered silkscreen prints, three CDs, four vinyl records, and notes. The Regular box, an edition of 1,964, contains offset prints, the CDs, vinyl records, and notes. A portion of the sales will benefit The Andy Warhol Museum.
Sony Music Entertainment will sponsor the exhibition tour worldwide.
Christoper Makos, Andy and John, 2011.Courtesy of the artist.