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Back in the 1960s, a young art collector named Peter M. Brant started acquiring works by emerging artist Andy Warhol. In the decades since, he kept collecting works by the artist who became both his friend and one of the most renowned artists of the modern era.
Now, Brant is showcasing more than 100 works by Andy Warhol for a landmark gallery show in the East Village called "Thirty Are Better Than One." The show, which spans the entirety of Warhol's career, is on view through July 31 on East Sixth Street with adult admission priced at $20. See the show for just $5 on Thursday evenings from 4-6pm.
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While the show includes some of Warhol's most iconic pieces (a Campbell's soup can and a Marilyn), it also highlights lesser-known works. For example, there's a pastel-hued folding screen called "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" that Warhol made for a Tiffany's window in 1954, along with early illustrations he made in the 1950s using gold leaf, copper and ink.
Across four floors of a light-filled Lower Manhattan gallery, the show covers many aspects of Warhol's artistry, from those early drawings and intimate Polaroids to popular silkscreens and sculptures. The exhibition also showcases Warhol's experimentation with numerous media, highlighting his vast contributions to the Pop Art movement. Featured works are mostly pulled from the extensive Brant Collections.
Brant's first purchase of a work by Warhol was the drawing "Campbell’s Soup Cans," (1962) followed by "Shot Light Blue Marilyn." He even collaborated with Warhol on producing two films L’Amour (1973) and Bad (1976).
To Brant, it's meaningful to host the show in a neighborhood where Warhol spent a lot of time. Brant started collecting works by Warhol when he was just a teenager and he's continued collecting works up until the show. He's even gone so far as tracking down the "Thirty Are Better Than One" painting in Africa and asking if the owner would sell it. (Eventually, she did.)
The exhibitions takes its title from this 1963 Warhol piece depicting 30 silk-screened images of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The artwork shows Warhol's interest in mechanical repetition, the excess of images and the disruption of art world hierarchies.
"I've never lost interest. The work seems as fresh to me as it ever did," Brant said during a preview event of the gallery this week.
Other notable pieces in the show include "Licorice Marilyn (1962)," "Liz #5 (Early Colored Liz) (1963)," "Most Wanted Men No. 5, 12 Electric Chairs (1964)," "Skulls series (1976)," and the massive depiction of "The Last Supper (1986)."
Take some Warhol home with you
On the way out, be sure to check out the impressive gift shop featuring all things Warhol—hoodies, mugs, T-shirts, books, decor and more—which will be exclusively available at The Brant Foundation Shop.
Plus, there's now a pop-up shop in SoHo where you can shop for The Brant Foundation x Andy Warhol Foundation exclusive merchandise, including a Marilyn hoodie, skull socks and a flowers-themed yoga mat. Find the pop-up on Prince Street between Mercer and Broadway, Wednesday through Sunday 1-8pm during July.