Andy Warhol-From A to B and Back Again at the Whitney - Back to Back Iconic Images - Ask WHY?

The Whitney is presenting an exhibition of Andy Warhol's (b 1928-1987) works that include many of his iconic portraits & images produced from the 1960s-1980s.  The first floor gallery contains floor to ceiling silkscreen portraits of famous artists, athletes, fashion designers, writers, musicians, socialites and rulers such as the Shah of Iran.  Many of these are easy & fun to identify such as Capote, Ali, Jagger, Halston and Basquiat,   But the vast majority of portraits in the room drew a blank (even given the names).  The inner circle social Warhol world of notoriety has lost luster from his lifetime.  Nonetheless, assembled together with their vivid colors and varying adornments including acrylic, diamond dust and urine makes an arresting visual affect.  The urine was only found on Basquiat's portrait, a peer & collaborative artist with whom Warhol had a fractious falling-out.  In the upstairs gallery you'll find 2 large paintings (1984 & 85)  done in collaboration represent more fully Basquiat's hand.  Perhaps the urine tossed on Basquiat's portrait is an affronting comment on Warhol's former friend.  There is a large painting across from these two works "Oxidation Painting" "(1978) that is a remarkable abstract work that utilizes gold metal pigment & urine.  Two gentlemen touring the galleries made the comment that Warahol's work is "too easily digested, it is what you see."  I partially agree but would point out that Warhol wanted us to look at mundane items with more intensity.  His iconic poppie images are replicated in numerous ways that make them appear basic and more elaborate.  The many silkscreens that show a repetitive image (such as Monroe, or fiscal bills) poses a hypnotic serendipitous coloration stemming from the silkscreening process.  I overheard a curator ask a group of young students why they thought Warhol painted colors over Mao Tse Tung's portrait.  A young student answered, "It makes him look like he's wearing make-up and it emasculate him."  Hmmm...   A curator asked another school group about the enlarged silkscreen of "The Last Supper" which was distorted and painted over with large black paint strokes.  "Maybe Warhol was expressing some ambivalent feelings toward his faith" replied a student.  Warhol became famous appropriating images.  In the early 80s Warhol chose to select images to work from such as the human skull.  The skull figure has been infamously appropriated in many ways by other artists such as Hirst.  It's too simple to dismiss Warhol's work as merely pop art or reproductions.  Warhol was first to shed a new light on everyday images.  Go see From A to B and Back Again and try listening while looking to comments from other patrons.