The Andy Warhol Museum presents FIFTEEN MINUTES: Homage To Andy Warhol. An Exhibition in Sight and Sound open October 2, 2011 – January 8, 2012.
Organized and produced by Wu-Shan, Inc. (Jeff Gordon and Path Soong), this exhibition features silkscreen prints and original recordings, ranging from spoken word to music and sound, created by a diverse roster of artists, writers, and performers who knew, worked with, were associated with or were inspired by Andy Warhol.
Jeff Gordon, who knew and admired Warhol, first conceptualized the idea of producing recordings (spoken word, sound pieces, and music) by visual artists in the early 1980s, while he was the co-owner of the Greene Street Recording Studio. Gordon’s first endeavor, Revolutions Per Minute (1982), packaged 20 of these recordings on a double LP, in a box with 20 visual prints by 20 artists. The idea turned into a traveling exhibition, and the boxes were purchased by art world collectors, museums, galleries and audio connoisseurs and serves as a precedent to the FIFTEEN MINUTES traveling exhibition and box set.
Artists included in the exhibition are Yura Adams, Connie Beckley, Brigid Berlin, Susan Breen, Bob Dylan, Nat Finkelstein, Vincent Freemont, John Giorno, Jeff Gordon, Alexander Heinrici, Ivan Karp, Christopher Makos, Billy Name, Carter Ratcliff, Patti Smith, Path Soong, Ultra Violet, and Lawrence Weiner.
FIFTEEN MINUTES juxtaposes each artist’s 12 by 12 inch (album sized) visual image with an accompanying audio work. For example, Smith’s poem, “Edie,” muses on the life and death of the Warhol Superstar Edie Sedgwick. Finkelstein’s screen printed photograph shows Warhol and Bob Dylan in the Factory with one of Warhol’s Elvis paintings in the background. In his song, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Dylan critiques the Warholian notion of fame and success. Gordon’s screen print modifies one of Warhol’s Brillo Box sculptures as a visual analogy to his sound piece, which loops excerpts from a Warhol interview which lasts 15 minutes.
The FIFTEEN MINUTES box set, sponsored by Sony and released through Sony’s Legacy Recordings on August 6 (Warhol’s Birthday) of this year, is an edition of 1,964, and contains offset prints, CDs, vinyl records, and notes. A deluxe edition, which is an edition of 85, contains 16 signed and numbered silkscreen prints (one from each artist), three CDs, four vinyl records and notes, is also available. A portion of the sales of these box sets will benefit The Andy Warhol Museum. Both sets are available at The Warhol Store (412-237-8300).
Sony Music Entertainment is the sponsor of the exhibition tour worldwide. For more information visit www.fifteenminutesonline.com