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More than “15 Minutes of Fame” at Detroit Institute of Arts: Fourth Friday for Friends features “Andy Warhol and the Celebrity Cult”

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

(Detroit)—On Friday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m., the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) auxiliary Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art (FMCA) continues its popular program “Fourth Friday for Friends” with a gallery talk on “Andy Warhol and the Celebrity Cult.” A reception follows the talk, and both are free with museum admission but require a complimentary pass available at www.andywarholffff.eventbrite.com.

 

Warhol’s obsession with celebrity manifested itself in many ways and is most revealing in his self-portraits. Rebecca Hart, DIA associate curator of contemporary art, will discuss Warhol’s cult of celebrity and sense of mortality as expressed in his 1986 Self-Portrait. Made at a time when many of Warhol’s friends were dying of AIDS, this image was considered a harbinger of death. It presents Warhol as spectral: his neon blue head and a shock of hair appear as a disembodied, free-floating mask or skull.

 

This “fright wig” Self-Portrait is currently on loan from The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, while the DIA’s two iconic self-portraits are on loan to the Metropolitan Museum in New York as signature works in the exhibition Considering Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years. Hart’s talk will take place in front of Warhol’s Self-Portrait, 1986.

 

About Fourth Fridays for Friends

Fourth Fridays for Friends is sponsored by J.P. Morgan and is an opportunity to enjoy in-depth discussions about contemporary art, attend private receptions hosted by FMCA and delight in the DIA’s fabulous Friday Night Live performances.

 

About FMCA

FMCA, the DIA’s oldest auxiliary, supports and enhances the James Pearson Duffy Department of Contemporary Art by promoting a better understanding of modern and contemporary art and raising funds for the purchase of important new works of art in diverse mediums.

 

Hours and Admission

Beginning Nov. 13, museum hours are 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays–Sundays. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for ages 6–17, and free for DIA members and residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. For membership information call 313-833-7971.

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The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self-Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera's world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA's collection is known for its quality, range, and depth. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art.
 
Programs are made possible with support from the City of Detroit and residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

Contact:    Pamela Marcil      313-833-7899     pmarcil@dia.org     www.dia.org

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