Dog Art Today

Tag: Jamie Wyeth

  • Canis Major: Andy Warhol’s Dogs and Cats (And Other Party Animals.)

    Andy_warhol_dachshund_photo
    Andy Warhol (Artist, with his dog Archie), 1973, Photograph © Jack Mitchell

    I think The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh is one of the true gems of the art world. Its intimate size, the context of the city he was born in, and the comprehensive yet wildly creative displays make it a sheer pleasure to visit.

    Now, The Warhol has mounted a show that’s right up my alley and I wish I could blink my eyes and be back in Pittsburgh this week to experience Canis Major: Andy Warhol’s Dogs and Cats (And Other Party Animals). Oh, and in my wish I’d take all my Dog Art Today readers too.

    Since a giant field trip to the ‘Burgh is impossible, here are some examples of the pets who passed through Warhol’s life and work.

    Andy_warhol_dachshund_archie
    Portrait of Maurice by Andy Warhol, painting-silkscreen, 1976

    Andy_warhol_dog_greatdane
    Dog (Great Dane) painting by Andy Warhol, 1976

    Andy_warhol_dachshund_3
    Dachshund (Archie), 1976, synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen ink on canvas. (Via The Long and Short of it All.)

    Andy_warhol_blue_pussy
    One Blue Pussy by Andy Warhol, 1954

    Andy_warhol_cat
    Red Sam by Andy Warhol, 1954

    Andy_warhol_archie
    Andy Warhol and Archie sit for a press photo in New York. (Via The Long and Short of it All.)

    Andy_warhol_dog_2
    Dog photograph by Andy Warhol

    Andy_warhol_dachshund
    Dachshund Photograph of Archie by Andy Warhol, 1976

    Andy_warhol_by_jamie_wyeth
    Portrait of Andy Warhol by Jamie Wyeth, 1976 (via Art Dog Blog. I’m not sure if it’s in the show, but I had to include it here — wonderful!)

    There is also an awesome interactive element to the exhibit. Weekend visitors are shown how to paint Warhol style portraits of homeless animals from the Animal Friends shelter in Ohio Township in order to help the animals find homes. Already several dogs and cats have been adopted.

    Warhol_style_dog_cat
    Portraits of a rabbit, a cat, and a dog from Animal Friends were painted in Warhol style for the exhibition.

    This exhibit that combines Andy Warhol’s passion for animals, a chance to make your own Warhol portrait, and, quite possibly, adopt a pet in need of a home is a brilliant tribute to the man who once wrote, “I never met a pet I didn’t like.” I didn’t think I could admire Andy Warhol more. I was wrong. I love that he loved pets so much and I love that his foundation continues to think like he did. What a truly awesome legacy!

    Read more about the exhibition in Linda Wilson Fuoco’s Pittburgh Post-Gazette article, “Animal Magnetism: Warhol Museum Going to the Dogs…and Cats.” The exhibition runs until May 4, 2008.

    P.S. Learn more about Warhol’s silkscreening process here.

  • Jamie Wyeth’s Dog Days of Summer

    Homer

    The Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, PA is offering a rare opportunity to see four decades of Jamie Wyeth’s dog art this summer. The exhibition, entitled Dog Days of Summer, includes Wyeth’s earliest dog-themed work, a sketch he made at age 9, as well as numerous privately owned works never before seen by the public.

    Wyeth, an avid dog lover, owns four Jack Russells at the moment, and they are prominent in much of his work. Two of my favorites are Homer (above) and Squirreling (below). Read Carol Kipp’s Delaware Online article to learn more. The show runs until September 3.

    Sqirreling

    Visit The Brandywine River Museum Shop to pick up the illustrated catalogue, Dog Days by Jamie Wyeth, which includes the artist’s personal stories about the paintings. The shop is also a great place to find wonderful posters, reproductions, and merchandise featuring the works of Jamie Wyeth, his father, Andrew Wyeth, and grandfather, N.C. Wyeth — who are often considered the first family of American Art.