By Michelle Devane, PA
A rare exhibition featuring the work of leading pop art figures Andy Warhol and Keith Haring is to open in Dublin this weekend.
The first joint display of works by the American artists in Ireland takes place at Gormleys Fine Art on South Frederick Street from Saturday until June 13th.
It includes 20 important works spanning both artists’ careers – from Warhol’s 1960s Icons series to Haring’s famed 1986-89 Pop Shop works.
“Warhol and Haring had a unique friendship, with Warhol acting as a mentor to Haring,” said curator James Gormley.
“This is a rare opportunity to see both artists’ work showcased together, and we have never had a substantial Haring exhibition in Ireland before.”
Warhol, who died in 1987, aged 58, was an American artist and a leading figure in the 1960s pop art movement.
His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, advertising and celebrity culture that flourished in the 1960s. They include a variety of media including painting, silkscreen printmaking, photography, film and sculpture.
Some of his best known works include the silkscreen paintings of Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962) and his Marilyn Monroe Diptych (1962) which hangs in the Tate Modern in London.
Key works in this exhibition include Warhol’s stunning monochrome Mickey Mouse from his 1981 Myths portfolio and his 1987 Moonwalk, which depicts Neil Armstrong’s photograph of Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr walking on the moon for the first time in 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission.
A series of his vibrant and vivid Dollar Sign works will also be featured.
Haring was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s.
His animated imagery has become widely recognised, combining the appeal of cartoons with the raw energy of art brut artists such as Jean Dubuffet.
He was a great collaborator and worked closely with like-minded artists such as Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Haring also designed record covers for Run DMC and David Bowie, directed a music video for Grace Jones and developed a fashion line with Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood.
A major campaigner for HIV/Aids awareness, Haring died at the age of 31 from an Aids-related illness.
During this lifetime he created 10,000-plus pieces of art that would define his legacy and inspire generations to come.
Key works in the exhibition includes Haring’s spectacular Medusa Head, one of the largest works he ever completed, measuring a huge 250cm x 140cm.
Also featured are a series of his most famous and sought after Pop Shop works.
