Of course, being a food art junkie, I had to see Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Can series at MOMA.
“Campbell Soup Can” by Andy Warhol, 1962, synthetic polymer painting, 20 x 16 inches canvas, courtesy of MOMA.
While this infamous print series had typically been displayed in a grid, for the first time it is installed at MOMA like it was for the original installation at Ferus Gallery, Los Angeles, in 1962 – in a straight line.
There is something very satisfying about seeing them all in lined up in a row, establishing a rhythm in the gallery that draws your eye around the room from one to another. I couldn’t help think about Peter Dreher’s serial imagery of drinking glasses similarly lined up on the wall, which I saw a year ago and loved, and blogged about.
Certainly it made it easier to compare individual works, which was an interesting exercise since these works were hand-painted. Warhol used his photo-screening technique on subsequent series’ after he completed his Campbell’s Soup Cans.
Contrast the way the Campbells Soup Cans are hung vs. Warhol’s Marilyn series of photo-screened images, which is in the next gallery. Imagine how different this body of work would look spread out in a single line. Neither installation is better or worse, just different. Which would you prefer – straight line or grid?
The show also includes drawings and illustrated books Warhol made in the 1950s and 1960s, featuring work from his years as a commercial artist in the 5os.
You’ll have plenty of time to stop by this small show the next time you’re at MOMA since it runs through October 15th, 2015.
