_An exhibition of black and white photography by Pop Art icon Andy Warhol is now on at London’s Timothy Taylor Gallery until 29 March. ‘Portraits and Landscapes’ is a compilation of unseen photographs shot by the seminal artist during the last ten years of Warhol’s life and work, and coincides with the 21st anniversary of his death.
During his time spent in Manhattan, London and a plethora of other cities, Warhol photographically documented his everyday life. Consistently preoccupied with objects and matters of the every day, as made famous in his silk-screen paintings of consumer goods such as Campbell’s soup cans and dollar bills, the collection of images gives a fascinating insight into the artist’s life and mind as he captures commonplace objects that were to shape his existence.
From dog food, toilets and storefronts to teacups, mannequins and pigeons, ‘Portraits and Landscapes’ documents everything that Warhol happened upon, illustrating his love for the everyday. Although most famous for his prints, the exhibition reminds the audience of the importance of photography in Warhol’s career; often using the camera as a visual tape recorder and inspiration for his compositions on canvas.
The way in which Warhol used photography to chronicle everyday life has influenced many an aspiring artist, as seen in the recent exhibition from Stephen Shore. Drawing influence from the artist, Shore used Warhol as his muse, capturing his Factory years on film at the tender age of 17.
Through his own exploration of banality, Warhol aimed to democratise all experiences and celebrate the ordinary. In his works ‘Flea Market’ and ‘Litter’, he manages to evoke a sense of melancholy that exist in objects, forever changing the way people view the world – every bit as influential and holding as much resonance today as he did during his own generation.
