WARHOL

When you think about it, department stores are kind of like Museums
– Andy Warhol

The art historical and commercial significance of Andy Warhol cannot be overstated. As the pioneer of Pop Art, Warhol was an essential part of a moment in history that saw a decisive break with the art of the past. Warhol propounded an art of the everyday: drawing on quotidian subject matter while utilizing commercial forms of production. Pop Art deliberately rejected the high ideals of the abstract expressionist movement that predated it. Art was no longer defined by the craftsmanship of the artist or an ideology of exceptionality. The art of Warhol redefined what art could be. Warhol originated conceptual ideas that continue to hugely influence artists of the 21st century: ideas involving mass production, popular culture, appropriation and authorship.

An artwork by Warhol is instantly recognizable. The visibility of Warhol in our contemporary culture is remarkable. It is impossible to think of Marilyn Monroe or a Campbell’s soup can without visualizing Warhol’s iconography. The mythology and imagery of Warhol has influenced fashion, advertising, film and music. His fame, ubiquity and cultural significance, translates into market value.

Warhol is highly prized: the artist’s work has been consistently collected and constantly sought after. As the Economist stated in their summation of the Warhol market “The Warhol market is considered the bellwether of post-war and contemporary art for many reasons, including its size and range, its emblematic transactions and the artist's reputation as a trendsetter. Since 2002 Warhol has consistently been one of the three most traded artists.”

This year we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s independence. Collectors Contemporary marks the occasion with a celebration of one the most significant artists of the 20th Century with a pop-up exhibition and sale museum level Warhol artworks.

To own a Warhol artwork is to own a piece of cultural history. As art historian Robert Rosenblum states, “Warhol’s art is itself like a March of Time newsreel, an abbreviated visual anthology of the most conspicuous headlines, personalities, mythic creatures, edibles, tragedies, artworks, even ecological problems of recent decades.” While each Warhol piece is a document of the recent past, his work continues to feel current, contemporary and relevant.

By being held in one of Singapore’s premier shopping locations, WARHOL brings the artist’s work into a direct relationship with two of Warhol’s obsessions: consumerism and pop culture. The show will enable collectors and visitors to access artworks containing Warhol’s iconic subject matter as well as rare paintings that seldom appear on the art market.

WARHOL illuminates the life and career of this globally renowned artist through this exceptional collection of works.