Since print superseded painting as the premier medium for visual art in galleries (what do you mean "Has it?" Yes, it has) it's fitting that the British Museum should put on a wham bam show called The American Dream: pop to the present. So people are still catching up to the fact that print is 'it' - they're always catching up. I'm always trying to catch up with myself and never succeeding. Here's a snap...
America's not the 'superpower' of art or printing (it had it's painting day in the 50s, didn't it?) but you wouldn't expect an inherently conservative institution like the BM to put on a major exhibition of 20th century Swedish prints, would you? Thankfully, no one country dominates today, partly due to the fact of this internet thing and the democratisation it created, as in anyone being able to see art from anywhere and even post their own for the world to ignore. Here's another snap...
As usual it's 'illegal' to take photos at the show; something to do with 'intellectual property', which is ironic considering that prints were/are, in theory, a way of making artworks that can be easily distributed and more affordable. But, yes, history dictates that should you want to buy any of these you'd need to be well-off. So you're supposed to buy the accompanying book instead.
It's fitting that Warhol's Marilyns are in the first room, Pop Art being the vulgar, commercial, popular thing that it was, by which I mean the movement that seemed to grab the public's attention and hold it ever since by exploiting Mr & Mrs People's predilection for garish colours and easily recognisable subjects. Warhol's work is not garish, though and it may surprise some to realise how beautiful and different the screen prints are in real life as opposed to the endless images in books. But vying for attention is James Rosenquist's F-111, a monumental strip of panels that perfectly encapsulate Pop, combing as they do those zingy colours and contrasting elements of the Political and everyday Domestic. An epic work....(this photo is not from the show)...
Around the corner is 1 Cent Life by Walasse Ting (oh but do look up to the ceiling for Claes Oldenburg's Giant Three-Way Plug, which I'm sure many didn't notice). Ting's book looks amazing and they showcase a few pages which contain his equally brilliant poetry...
...there's an excellent feature on the book here.
A couple of pieces by Robert Longo which gain in stature when actually seen as original prints...being life-size...
...superb prints by Robert Motherwell (the first two)...
...a beautiful piece by Helen Frankenthaler called Savage Breeze...
...this is an eye-popping, exhaustive/exhausting show that's worth every penny. I haven't mentioned many of the big names featured but Jim Dine's pieces are great (studies of paintbrushes and tools) and of course Ed Ruscha's Standard Station which really must be seen to be fully appreciated...so good, so sumptuous...so seductive you want to lick it. Finally, I can't talk about prints without plugging my own, three of which are on show at the Tunnel collective's Waterstones show until April 12th. Lots of great paintings are featured too. TTFN
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