Andy Warhol: Portrait of America, an ARTIST ROOMS Partnership Exhibition with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland, brings several of the artist's most iconic works to audiences in Milton Keynes, in celebration of MK Gallery's 25th anniversary.
Born in Pittsburgh, USA to parents who immigrated from what is now known as Slovakia, Andy Warhol (1928-1987) moved to New York in 1949 to work as a commercial illustrator, developing styles and techniques that propelled him to the centre of America's cultural scene. Warhol reimagined what art could and should be at a time of social, political and technological change.
This exhibition presents a survey of his work, spanning his career from the 1950s-80s. It features early drawings, painted silkscreens and photographic series that showcase Warhol's collaborations with artists, friends, filmmakers and celebrities. Images of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Warhol himself feature alongside Coca-Cola bottles, Campbell's soup cans, and symbols of the artist's fascination with mortality.
MK Gallery brings world-class exhibitions and events together with pioneering learning and community programmes to Milton Keynes.
ARTIST ROOMS presents the work of international artists in solo exhibitions drawn from a national touring collection jointly owned by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Its programme reaches audiences across the UK and is developed through local partnerships. ARTIST ROOMS gives young people the chance to get involved in creative projects, to discover more about art and artists, and learn new skills.
The ARTIST ROOMS programme and collection is managed by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland with the support of Art Fund, Henry Moore Foundation and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Creative Scotland. Its founding collection was established through The d'Offay Donation in 2008 with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund and the Scottish and British Governments.
