Warhol: Headlines

Warhol had a lifelong obsession with the sensational side of contemporary news media, and examples of his source materials for the works of art are presented for comparison, revealing Warhol’s role as both editor and author.  The rich headline motif is traced through 80 works representing the full range of its treatment in Warhol’s practice—from paintings, drawings, prints, photography, and sculpture to film, video, and television. A major, yet previously unexplored theme that ran through Warhol’s entire career, the headline encompasses many of his key subjects, including celebrity, death, disaster, and current events.  Andy Warhol (1928–1987) is among the foremost American artists of the last century. Alongside Pablo Picasso, he is also considered one of the most important 20th-century artists in the world. Wherever one places him, Warhol’s influence is indisputable. His visual vocabulary has become a part of the vernacular from which it originally derived. Even his purported 1968 statement “in the future everybody will be world-famous for 15 minutes” has become as ubiquitous as the 24-hour news cycle.

This exhibition has been made possible through the generous support of the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.