Andy Warhol: Vanitas

Vanitas adds a layer of complexity and nuance to the  theme of religion in the work and life of Warhol as explored in The Warhol Museum’s successful exhibition Andy Warhol: Revelation (2019). As a devout Byzantine Catholic, Warhol went to church with his mother almost every Sunday until her death in 1974, and attended regularly in the years after. Warhol was very much aware of the fragility of life, perhaps even more so after the assassination attempt on his life.

Vanitas

Vanitas further explores Warhol’s preoccupation with temporality, spiritualism and astrology. The exhibition includes a rarely seen series of skull drawings and self-portraits, as well as a series of skull paintings. These are reminiscent of the 17^th-century Vanitas genre in visual art, which was especially popular among Dutch and Flemish painters. Vanitas—Latin for ‘vanity’—is a genre of art which uses symbolism to show the transience of life, the certainty of death, and the futility of vanity in the face of it. These themes and a sense of spiritualism pertaining to the passing of time and the fragility of corporeality, are explored through a diverse range of multimedia works, and archival objects from Warhol’s Time Capsules.

120 works and personal archival objects

Works shown in the exhibition include the renowned series of painted Self Portraits (1986) with a ‘fright wig’, the illuminated black-light painting The Last Supper (1986), a series of Marilyn Monroe screen prints rendered in distressed black and white tones called the Reversal Series (ca. 1978), and iconic silk screens from Warhol’s Death and Disaster series such as White Burning Car III (1963), as well as a series of iconic Shadows (1979) paintings. Personal items from Warhol such as wigs, pink corsets and Chinese astrology charts complete the exhibition. SCHUNCK Museum has composed this unique collection in close collaboration with Patrick Moore, director of The Andy Warhol Museum and curator of this exhibition. The works and objects in the exhibition Andy Warhol: Vanitas have never before been shown in this combination in Europe.

The upcoming exhibition Andy Warhol: Vanitas is the next chapter in the series of icons in contemporary art at SCHUNCK. Warhol worked closely with both Basquiat and Keith Haring, and as was the case with their exhibitions, this exhibition will present a new perspective on the oeuvre of the celebrated artist.

Icons in art at SCHUNCK

In the last years, SCHUNCK Museum has been focusing on telling unexpected or untold stories about iconic artists of the 20^th and 21^st century. In 2019 SCHUNCK presented the exhibition Basquiat: The Artist and his New York Scene focusing on Basquiat’s early work. In 2021 SCHUNCK presented the exhibition Keith Haring: Grace House Mural, zooming in on the performative aspects as well as earlier work. SCHUNCK collaborated with the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver for both exhibitions. The exhibitions were accompanied by award-winning publications initiated by SCHUNCK and published by DAP and NAI010 publishers.