Richard H. Axsom discusses the inspiration and social commentary behind Andy Warhol's "Sunset" series. Axsom, senior curator at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, is a contributing essayist to the catalog for the exhibit "Andy Warhol: Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation" at the Portland Art Museum.
In 1972, Warhol was commissioned to create a series of prints for a luxury hotel. However, Axsom shares that the images, like most of Warhol's work, have a double-coded meaning. The series, which he likens to "sofa art masquerading as social commentary," are not simply decorative pieces, but also "layered in their meanings both politically and socially."
The exhibition will next be on view at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA from June 11 - September 3, 2017.