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FacebookWSU adds Warhol photos to permanent collection
Friday, August 01, 2008
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Andy Warhol, 'Shoes' Polacolor Type 108, part of the Andy Warhol photography collection awarded to Wright State, on display Sept. 9 through Oct. 19
Part of the Andy Warhol photography collection donated to Wright State University, on display starting Sept. 9-Oct. 19.
'JOAN COLLINS' polaroid ER, 1985All Wright State University asked for was money; what they got is worth a whole lot more: 155 Polaroids and silver gelatin prints taken by Andy Warhol, donated to WSU's permanent collection from the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts as part of its 20th Anniversary Photographic Legacy Program. The program made a gift of 28,543 photos to 183 college and university art programs around the country. In total, the collection is valued at more than $28 million; Wright State's portion is valued at $126,100.
Tess Cortes, gallery coordinator for WSU's Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries, originally made the grant application to the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts seeking general funds to support the galleries.
"I believe the fact that Wright State received these photographs is a testament to our strong arts program and the galleries' commitment to sharing contemporary art with the public," she said. "Of course, it's very exciting to add Warhol's name to the already impressive roster of artists we hold in our collection."
The exhibition, "I Am a Camera: Photography of Andy Warhol," will be on display at the Stein Galleries from Sept. 9 through Oct. 19.
According to Warhol Foundation President Joel Wachs, the aim of the Photographic Legacy Program is to provide greater access to Warhol's artwork and process.
"The program offers institutions that do not have the means to acquire works by Warhol the opportunity to bring a significant number of photographs into their permanent collections, while allowing those institutions that do have Warhol in their collections to enrich the breadth and depth of their holdings," said Wachs in a statement.
The photographs were delivered to Wright State in April.
Because of the sensitivity of the photographs, they can only be displayed every couple of years. After the exhibition, the photos will remain part of the university galleries' teaching collections and can be viewed upon request.
"The Polaroid photos often served as source material for his silk-screened prints and paintings," Cortes said. "Because Warhol used photo-based screenprint stencils for his artwork, he continually needed source images to reproduce. Most of his black-and-white photographs, on the other hand, were documentation of a time and place, and their spontaneity a refreshing contrast to the staged Polaroids."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2403 or ldempsey@DaytonDailyNews.com.
