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Overview
It's hard to think of an artist more recognisable than Andy Warhol. His pop art featuring Campbell's Soup, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley is iconic — even art novices know about Warhol and his influence on the world.
Adman: Warhol before pop is a new exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW running from February 25 to May 28. It will examine Warhol's early career and reveal the origins of his dream to become both a successful visual and commercial artist.
Before his famous pop art paintings, Warhol was one of the most sought after commercial illustrators in the New York advertising industry. The exhibition will feature 300 objects — including drawings, photographs, books, shop-front window displays, vintage advertisements and personal items. The emphasis will be on Warhol's work before he began to create pop art, revealing his origins in the world of advertising and art and helping us to understand his formative years — from the influence that his sexual identity had on his work, to the influence of artists such as Matisse and Cocteau.
Much of the exhibition will be taken from the extraordinary art collection at The Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburg. Tickets are available via the Art Gallery of NSW.
Image: 'Andy Warhol in New York City'. c1949. Philip Pearlstein papers. Archives of American Art. Smithsonian Institution.
