Andy Warhol, Hull

About

The Ferens Gallery presented a broad range of Andy Warhol's work from the ARTIST ROOMS collection, from rarely-seen stitched photographs to his iconic posters and late paintings.

The unique stitched photographs produced between 1976 and 1986 mark a return to Warhol’s interest in multiple images. He put together groups of four, six or twelve prints of the same image and had them sewn together to form one complete work of art. The thread is left to hang as he did not want to disguise how the work had been made. The posters on display, which span the sixties, seventies and eighties illustrate strong themes within Warhol’s art. He was keenly aware of the power of branding, advertising and marketing, and celebrated the modern commercial world that had provided prosperity for post-war America.

The Future Ferens, a group of volunteers aged 18 to 25, were closely involved in the organisation of the exhibition and particularly in helping to fulfil one of the key aims of the ARTIST ROOMS programme - making contemporary art more accessible to a young audience. They played a part in selecting the artworks, were involved in the graphic design of the exhibition materials, produced a Warhol timeline as a free hand-out for visitors and even donned fancy dress for the opening.