A Belated Transmitting Andy Warhol

Well first of all apologies for my tardiness in getting this blog post up, two months in fact, that's quite good for me really.  Now if you have forgiven me can I wish you all a happy, prosperous and stylish new year?  OK now that's out the way shall we have a little look at what Tate Liverpool currently have on show until the 8th February?  It's only the first major solo exhibition in the North of England of the master of popular culture himself Andy Warhol!

You would be hard pressed to find anyone in Britain who has not heard of Andy Warhol, recognises his screen prints or uses the quote 'In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes'.  It was his belief that art should be for everyone, and from my way of thinking this was his greatest achievement.  He was instrumental in finding new ways to spread art, via his paintings, film, Interview magazine and most intriguingly lifestyle.  The Factory was one of the most iconic hangouts of not just the 1960s but the 20th Century.  Frequented by a vast array of people from all backgrounds, it gave birth to the Warhol Superstars and one of the most influential bands of all time, The Velvet Underground.  All were ways in which he democratized art.  Using easily recognisable images, and serial repetition 'transmitted' his ideas into the public consciousness.

The exhibition is not just a display of these well known paintings, there is a vast array of the other media which shows the breadth of his work.  The most special for me is the recreation of the Exploding Plastic Inevitable.  As a youngster I wanted to be Edie Sedgwick, all leotards and big earrings.  I devoured anything I could get my hands on which related to her and the Factory, which was not easy in those pre internet days.  I would have given several digits to have experienced the 'total art' environment, to have seen the Velvets live and to have lived that debauched glamorous lifestyle.  Now on a November evening down at the Albert Dock I got my chance, and it was boss.

I will leave you with some of the great man's quotes which I hope will leave you both smiling and thinking.

"My fascination with letting images repeat and repeat, or in films case 'run on', manifests my belief that we spend much of our lives seeing without observing".

"I think everybody should like everybody".

"Art is what you can get away with".

"Isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves".

"I have Social Disease.  I have to go out every night.  If I stay home one night I start spreading rumours to my dogs".

Transmitting Andy Warhol is on till 8th February 2015 at The Tate Liverpool, go you won't regret it.