Savannah, Ga. - Telfair Museums is pleased to announce the opening of In Living Color: Andy Warhol and Contemporary Printmaking from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation March 1 – May 17, 2015 at Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center for the Arts.
Andy Warhol is known as a master colorist who depicted the world with the volume turned up. Warhol was the central figure of American pop art, a movement that emerged in the late 1950s. He challenged the way people understood popular culture, politics, and consumer society. Warhol and his contemporaries sought to eradicate the notion of the “genius artist” and downplay the role of originality in art, adopting mechanical means of generating images such as screenprinting, which theoretically allowed for an endless reproduction of images.
In Living Color examines the ways in which color impacts both the subject and viewer. There are five sections to the exhibition – emotion, experience, experimentation, attitude and subversion. Warhol screenprints from the 1960s through the 1980s serve as the lens for the exhibition’s study and frame the five sections of the show, along with 19 other artists. Warhol’s work is placed alongside that of other artists such as Chuck Close, Frank Stella, and Keith Haring to create a dialogue for each section. Spanning three decades of Warhol’s career, this exhibition features some of his most iconic screenprints, including his portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Mao Zedong, the splashy camouflage series, and the controversial Electric Chair portfolio
“This multifaceted exhibition of American pop artists explains the use of color to influence how people interpret and respond to images,” said Lisa Grove, Telfair Museums’ director and CEO. “The artists in the exhibition drew inspiration from the world around them and used bright colors and repetition as a form of communication.”
The exhibition is drawn exclusively from the collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer. Mr. Schnitzer is an internationally known collector who describes himself as the Johnny Appleseed of art appreciation, endeavoring to help people experience the most noteworthy artists of our time. Mr. Schnitzer will give a lively talk on In Living Color on March 5 at 6 pm at the Jepson Center. On April 9, Telfair will co-host a “Pop Art Pop-up Party” with South magazine featuring In Living Color. The party is free and open to the public.
Related Programs
Opening Lecture by Jordan D. Schnitzer
Thursday, March 5, 6 pm Jepson Center for the Arts
Join the art collector Jordan D. Schnitzer for an inside look at the works displayed In Living Color. Mr. Schnitzer’s passion for collecting post-World War II American art grew from his first purchase at age 14 to a collection that now includes more than 8,000 works by American masters.
Free and open to the public. Funding is provided by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cultural Affairs
Pop Art Pop-up Party!
Thursday, April 9, 6 pm
Think pink! The Hot Pink installation by Anne Ferrer and In Living Color are the inspiration for a Studio 54 disco party co-hosted by South magazine and Telfair Museums. Anne Ferrer will kick off the party with a lecture at 6 pm.
Free and open to the public. Funding is provided by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cultural Affairs
In Living Color Free Family Day
Saturday, April 11, 1-4 pm Jepson Center for the Arts
This Free Family Day celebrates In Living Color and the Hot Pink installation by Anne Ferrer, which opens April 9. Children and adults experience hands-on art-making activities, including relief printing and silk-screening t-shirts.
Free and open to the public. Funding is provided by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Georgia Power Foundation, Inc.
Saturday What Can We Make Factory Project
Saturdays, March 1- May 17, 1-4 pm Jepson Center for the Arts
Participate in the Andy Warhol Factory experience at the Jepson Center! A significant element of Andy Warhol’s silkscreens was his use of the same image over and over again. Guests can experiment with Andy Warhol’s exploration of pop culture, experience screenprinting, and take home their own serial creation.
Telfair encourages guests to drop in at the studio between 1-4 pm to work with assistants to screenprint Andy Warhol Flowers. All ages are welcome. Regular admission applies.
About Telfair Museums
Founded in 1886, Telfair Museums is the oldest public art museum in the South and features an excellent art collection in the heart of Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District. It encompasses three sites: the Jepson Center for the Arts, the Owens-Thomas House, and the Telfair Academy.
The Jepson Center is where Savannah’s residents and visitors seek out world-class art; large traveling exhibitions such as 2015’s Monet and American Impressionism; and the “Bird Girl” statue, made famous in the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Inside, guests experience Savannah’s interactive children’s play area; shop for one-of-a-kind finds; eat at the friendly Jepson Café; and enjoy art classes, Free Family Days, movie screenings, lectures, and parties.
The Owens-Thomas House and the Telfair Academy are both National Historic Landmark Buildings. The Owens-Thomas House, completed in 1819, is one of the finest English Regency homes in America. It tells of the lives of the Southern elite in young America, with an English-inspired parterre garden, exquisite period furnishings, and an original carriage house with one of the earliest intact urban slave quarters in the South.
The Telfair Academy is the grand old Telfair family mansion. It was designed by British architectural prodigy William Jay in 1819 for Alexander Telfair, son of Revolutionary War patriot and Georgia governor Edward Telfair. Expanded greatly in the 1880s, the Telfair Academy brings to life the passions of the Victorian-era wealthy of the South. The 19th century period rooms showcase decorative arts and furnishings.
Telfair Museums is a registered, tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Telfair is wholly funded by generous individuals, corporations, and grant-making institutions.