The quote “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minute,” is synonymous with Andy Warhol and his legions of camp-followers and pop-art fanatics. Warhol was obsessed with the idea of celebrity culture, with images of them running on repeat all over the globe. He was truly a visionary that was ahead of his time, all while probably being the first example the world had of social media.
On display at The Andy Warhol Museum, “Andy Warhol’s Social Network: Interview, Television and Portrait” shows the cross-section of how Warhol’s love for art, film, fashion, and celebrity all came together. Interview, which happens to be Warhol’s longest project, is one of the main highlights in the exhibition.
Featuring a total of 204 issues of Interview magazine from 1969 to 1987, these publications are a part of the permanent collection at The Andy Warhol Museum and is the first time it’s shown in its entirety.
In addition to the masterworks of Warhol, visitors will also be able to bear witness to over sixty collages from the artist Richard Bernstein, who was responsible for many of the iconic covers from the 70s to the 80s. “Interview was more than just a celebrity magazine—it was art, and Richard Bernstein’s distinctive portraits were masterpieces,” said Rory S. Trifon, president of The Estate of Richard Bernstein.
“Like with all his work, Interview was original, but also tapped into a younger vibration, celebrated youth culture and created a world of reflection by mirroring the trends of fashion, beauty, and culture of its time”, states Jessica Beck, Chief Curator.
Interview was one of the original ways in which advertising could be used as an artform, with Warhol himself creating an aspirational world of celebrity for the everyday reader. In today’s world, this has been replaced by social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where space and the public became one.
From Interview, Warhol was able to expand his projects to ideas such as Fashion, Warhol TV and Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes. “Warhol’s social circle was a collision of different worlds,” said Tyler Shine, assistant curator of art.
“He skillfully managed to mix the downtown art scene with socialites, celebrities, and the publishing industry. This exhibition not only highlights these connections, but also the strategies Warhol used to make it possible.”
At the end of the exhibition, it will beg the question – if Warhol was alive today, how would his image of celebrity and fame fit into the modern zeitgeist?
Andy Warhol’s Social Network: ‘Interview’, Television and Portraits is on display through February 20, 2023.