Andy Warhol in Heaven and Hell Are Just One Breath Away!

SOTHEBY'S
By Lucia Fortune-Ely

Andy Warhol's "Crosses" (1982) 

On the 1st of April 1987 almost two thousand people congregated at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City for a memorial service. Among them were such famous figures as Liza Minnelli, Grace Jones and Yoko Ono, as well as all the most celebrated contemporary artists of the time including David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Only the acclaimed ‘Pope of Pop’, Andy Warhol, could attract such a crowd. This spring memorial service, in the city as synonymous with Warhol as Pop Art itself, focused on the private spirituality and faith of the artist most often associated with the popularity of his artworks. The portentous and religious imagery of his late work flirted with styles and symbolism from Eastern and Western Catholic art history, and carefully reframed them within the context of Pop. [More]

Sotheby's London: "Andy Warhol: Heaven and Hell Are Just One Breath Away!" (February 8 - 28, 2020); 31 St. George Street, London W1SJ; +44-207-293-5650; sothebys.com