FORT WORTH — Don't be deceived by the serene sleekness as you enter the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, because inside, vivid colors and self-portraits are on full display in a fascinating 55-piece exhibition titled "Andy Warhol: The Last Decade."
"It's a huge feat to have these 55 works together; it has not been done before," said curator Andrea Karnes. "Some of these works in this exhibition were never even seen during Warhol's lifetime."
The final decade of Andy Warhol's life — leading up to his death in 1987 — was his most prolific and introspective. He made famous the use of familiar portraits of himself and others.
"Andy Warhol was completely obsessed with his own image throughout his career," Karnes said. "In this later half of his career, he's more focused on his legacy."
The Warhol legacy ended up producing works of art that have sold for as much as $100 million per piece. He partied with celebrities and he also began silk-screening iconic images, including the famous Last Supper painting by DaVinci.
"Warhol was raised Catholic; he went to church his entire life, he prayed with his mother on Sundays when he could not make it to church," Karnes said. "There is always an irony with Warhol, always a punning going on."
"You will learn a lot about the sometimes-confusing Andy Warhol when you visit this massive exhibit. From soup cans to self-portraits, Andy Warhol clearly understood the power of the image.
The Modern's Warhol exhibition runs through May 16.
E-mail gcogill@wfaa.com
