This exhibition of Andy Warhol’s cinematic portraits (until 1 September) examines the artist’s fascination with film in the mid-1960s and reflects his lifelong obsession with the cult of celebrity. Each of the 28 black-and-white films chosen for the display, selected from the museum’s unrivalled collection of 277 restored Warhol film holdings, records a five-minute observation of a particular artist, actor, model, writer or musician. The subjects, depicted in the dramatic lighting of Warhol’s Factory, have been left to their own devices in front of a still camera and the results of these inpromptu performances are diverse, including, among others, Jane Holzer chewing gum and brushing her teeth in a provocative manner and Dennis Hopper beating time to his own rhythm (see below). Warhol may be best remembered for his appropriation of images from popular culture but he also earned himself a reputation for making radical explorations in the field of cinema. These short films are captivating and may be appreciated for their aesthetic appeal alone, but they can also be regarded as important prototypes for contemporary developments in film and video.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Andy Warhol: screen tests'