WOLVERHAMPTON.- Iconic works by Andy Warhol are being exhibited at Wolverhampton Art Gallery this summer as part of Andy Warhol: Art Star, an ARTIST ROOMS exhibition in partnership with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland.

This major exhibition includes early drawings from the 1950s, paintings, screenprints, posters and photographs featuring Warhol’s collaborations with artists, friends, filmmakers and celebrities. Alongside iconic images of American consumerism sit portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, The Beatles and the famous ‘Campbell’s Soup’.

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was one of the most influential American artists to emerge in the second half of the twentieth century. A central figure in Pop Art in the 1960s, he reimagined what art could be at a time of great social, political and technological change. Although Warhol is known predominantly as a painter and graphic artist, he also produced many films and published magazines and books.

Andy Warhol: Art Star spans the breadth of Warhol’s career. After graduating in 1949, Warhol moved to New York and started working as a commercial artist, primarily illustrating magazines. He found success in the booming advertising industry of the 1950s with witty, decorative drawings.

As time went on, Warhol developed styles and techniques which propelled him to the centre of America’s cultural scene. Warhol’s studio, the Factory, brought together artists and musicians from all walks of life, becoming a focal point for queer cultural life in New York City in the 1960s and 70s.

Warhol’s fascination with celebrity and commercial culture produced some of the most recognisable images in 20th century art, a selection of which - such as screen prints of Marylin Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor - are included in this exhibition. He worked hard to cultivate his own personal image, and self-portrait photographs feature in the show; these works have become as recognisable as his paintings of the celebrities of the day.

Paintings from the 1980s that were never exhibited in his lifetime and a series of Interview magazines of iconic celebrities from the 1980s can be seen, alongside the lesser-known ‘stitched photographs’, which were the focus of his last exhibition before his death. Warhol’s lifelong fascination with mortality is also explored, from imagery of guns and war to the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery has a long association with Pop Art, and holds one of the largest and most significant Pop Art collections in the UK. For this exhibition, one of the key works from Wolverhampton Art Gallery’s collection – Warhol’s ‘Campbell’s Soup’ – sits alongside visiting works from the remarkable ARTIST ROOMS national collection.

Children and young people aged 20 and under will benefit from free tickets for the life of the exhibition. Standard entry is £9, with other concessions available.

A busy programme of events is planned to accompany Andy Warhol: Art Star, including film screenings, Friday lates and LGBTQI+-themed talks.

Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, said, “We’re incredibly proud to welcome back an ARTIST ROOMS exhibition to Wolverhampton Art Gallery through our partnership with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Hosting an exhibition by world-renowned artist Andy Warhol here in our city is a testament to Wolverhampton’s growing reputation as a cultural destination, and I encourage everyone - especially our young people, who can visit free of charge - to come and be inspired by the strength and spirit of Warhol’s work.”

Ceri Lewis, Senior Curator for ARTIST ROOMS, Tate and National Galleries of Scotland, said: “Andy Warhol remains one of the most recognised artists in the world. An 'art star' of Pop Art, both popular and radical, he changed the nature of what art could be. With his conviction that ‘art should be for everyone’, his experimental practice across art, film, fashion, music, publishing and broadcasting redefined access to culture and art as we know it today.

Ceri Lewis adds, “We’re delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with Wolverhampton Art Gallery through this exhibition, sharing their commitment to making extraordinary art accessible to audiences. ARTIST ROOMS is all about bringing the world-class art in our national collections to towns and cities across the UK, so that everyone has the same opportunities to see, discover, and be inspired.”

ARTIST ROOMS presents the work of international artists in solo exhibitions, drawn from a national touring collection jointly owned by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland. The programme is developed through local partnerships to reach audiences across the UK.