America. Dream America, daydream nation. Where do we go when we want to understand this country? The messages are not much help. Our news media in the US is so closely connected, useless to both the corporate and political structures. So many information. Of course there will be only the information, that you want to see either the Whitehouse or Phifzer.
What else is there? History books? Apart from a few brilliant but marginalized voices such as Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn and Cornell West would hardpressed, finding much of value. The version we teach history and available have the tends to be a one-way stream of cardboard cutout stereotypes America show ' great achievements "." Where do we go? We crave importance. Human beings are cabled meanings and patterns, to search. Our eyes can no more than a few seconds without search, how it fits into our schema or rest the understanding of our experience to an object.
I would put forth, if you want, a look at what makes America tick get worse than spend some time at the San Diego Museum of art's new show, "Andy Warhol's dream America" could do. Andy puts it best; "If you want to know everything about Andy Warhol, check the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am." "There is nothing behind it."
I don't think that Andy's being coy. Well, at least not so. Surfaces are, what is his work. I know we often the surface of things as not much to do, identify with depth. "You can't judge to cover a book by him" and "Beauty is only skin deep" are two of our worn-out responses to surface. But in Warhol's work which surfaces there! Shade of ink mixed with diamond dust. Violett-and Red pop ultra vivid Greens from the canvas and paper. Repeated faces of prominent in all imaginable colours. Chairman Mao's Green Marilyn Monroe's sulking carry on blue eye shadow. Cotton candy pink and silver electric chairs amidst day-glo cow heads. These pieces are a miracle of the color and line style.
The technology is so clean and masterful if it would be, it still worthy enough to justify our contemplation. This is not to say that Warhol's meaning is cheap, flat or easy to understand.
In the exhibition I sat watching the long, single take film portraits of various New York Undergroundites called "Screen tests" when a woman approached, be careful. She had been of a few times and finally decided to ask me a question. I have no idea why you chose me. I thought that as I sat there apparently enjoy these films I able you to help must be.
"Thing happen?" I looked at not quite sure what you meant. "I mean doing something come up or change?"
I explained this "screen tests" were called and Warhol made you from almost everyone he met but no, would actually happen nothing else on the screen. I said that art from very little to do portraits that were a lot of film revealed. Nodded and said: ", there is no biographical information that coming up?" Answered as I no you went with a look disappointed. I add to this fun or standing up. Sometimes the hardest things are directly to us.
America is all about surfaces. Walk through each city and you'll see it. Echo each movement, shiny glass and mirror. What space is not reflective is cluttered with repeated logos and advertising. So maybe Andy Warhol's art can enter most common functions and details to this land us on that. Everything is there; the deaths that show the old West, the celebrities, the surface. In a certain way on foot through this exhibition Warhol's work is a photorealistic portrait of life in America, dream America, daydream nation.
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