Megaphone (Georgetown, Tex.), Vol. 96, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 14, 2002 Page: 4 of 8
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4 February 14, 2002
Arts & Entertainment
Andy Warhol: Irreverent artist with a trademark
Bonnie Casson
Asst. News Editor
A lot of things can be said
about the irreverent artist/
filmmaker/ socialite/ pack-rat,
Andy Warhol.Touted as both the
"fathaf” and “g«m reaper” of Pop
Art, he has surpassed the phenom-
ena of simply f>eing an artist—he
has become a legend. Whether
you think that he’s overrated or a
genius, his fame or infamy knows
no bounds. From countless books,
movies and newspapers chroni-
cling his ever-noticeable idiosyn
crasies (to put ii lightly) as weli as
his own dabbling in the realm of
lilmmakmg, the presence of this
bleach-blonde art-geek has made
a permanent impression on the art
world.
Horn in Pittsburgh in 1928,
Warhol's blue-collar background
was a far cry from his nights of
debauchery at Studio 54. After
completing his studies at the Carn-
egie Institute of Technology in Pitts-
burgh, the budding artist packed his
bags, heading for the exploding art
scene in New York At the time
Warhol arrived in the Big Apple
(around 1945), the art world had
changed dramatically. No longer
was the focus on European cities
like London and Paris; instead. New
York and the testosterone driven
Abstract Expressionist movement
(dominated bv such artists as lack-
son Pollock and Mark Rothko)
took center stage as the epitome of
modern art. This is not to say that
Warhol’s only reason for coming
to New York was to jump on
the Abstract Expressionist band-
wagon—he had plans all his own.
Warhol, in fact, vehemently despised
the wholly subjective “artist as
genius” qualities which Abstract
Expressionism embodied. Keeping
this hatred at heart, Warhol bided
his time working as a commercial
artist until about 1960. By this time.
Abstract Expressionism was rapidly
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Marylm (Three Times), 1962
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losing its steam and acclaim. Slowly
taking its place was a style borrowed
(some even believe stolen) from
our neighbors across the pond—
Pop Art.
Taken up by more established
New York artists like Jasper Johns
and Robert Rauschenberg, Pop Art,
with its familiar, approachable
topics and blatant dichotomy of
criticizing and embracing consumer
capitalist society, became the “in”
thing in contemporary art circles,
all the while mocking the severity
of Abstract Expressionism. Warhol
had found his niche.
Warhol's earlier work remained
far from the works which made him
successful. Water Heater and Sat-
urday's Popeye actually went so
far as to blatantly moek the style
of the Abstract Expressionists with
their seemingly swiftly applied
brushstrokes. There was, however,
something different here, something
shocking not only in the chastising
of his New York predecessors, but
also in Warhol's fasci-
nation with consumer
society and commodi-
ties.
What both shocked
and made the pseudo-
avant garde curious
about mis quiet artist
was his (soon to be)
sole use of the art of
screenprinting—giving
the works a much more
processed, cookie-cut-
ter appearance. Not
only was his technique
J
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criticized, but so was his subject
matter: commodities. Some fans of
Abstract Expressionism saw people
like Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein
as devaluing the emotional facility
of art. Warhol relished in this,
continuing to mass-produce works
such as the famous Campbell Soup
Can, Coca-Cola Bottle and Brillo
Boxes. Slowly but surely, America
and the world began to
catch on.
In his New York studio,
aptly titled The Factory,
Warhol, with the help of
his lackies, began churn-
ing out work after work,
moving farther and far-
ther away from the 'tac-
tile nature of the Abstract
Expressionist woik he
despised. In 1964, he cre-
ated his famous Marilyn
Diptych, which not only
showed his fascination
with the celebrity, but also
his desire to be widely
consumed and recognized
as such.
This desire for fame
as well as a trip to Paris
in 1965 caused Warhol
to half-way retire from the pro-
fession as artist as he became an
avant-garde filmmaker. Works such
as Empire and Sleep (both over 8
hours long), as with most ventures
artists take into the cinematic genre,
never yielded the fame he so rel-
ished and desired.
The 1970s, however, brought
about Warhol’s infamy. Instead of
fraternizing with his usual slew
of druggies, transvestites and the
like, Warhol chose to distance
himself, focusing on establishing
his place amongst New York
bigh society—hence, the Studio'
54 years (well, minus the whole
drugs thing). In order to con-
centrate more on his social life,
Warhol began his years as portrait
Self Portrait, 1986
artist. To many critics this was
his downfall, his move away from
the essence of modern art—indi-
viduality. I have to disagree with
this, in that Warhol never changed
his focus. He was still showcasing
and damning consumerism and
commodities. Paintings happened
to be the product. He was simply
mass-producing art for those who
wanted to buy it. What does it matter
if his works weren’t produced espe-
cially for exhibitions? Warhol, the
name, became the sought after com-
modity—and he loved it.
After helping to launch the
careers of Francesco Clemente and
Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1980s,
Warhol returned to his roots. Cast-
ing screenprinting by the wayside,
the surprisingly devout
Catholic bt-gan a series
of religious images based
on Renaissance paintings
such as Leonardo’s Last
Supper. This was one of
his last works before his
death in 1987.
Warhol. That’s all that
needs to be said. His fame
has surpassed much of
his own aspirations and
dreams. His complex life
and personality left much
to the imagination; what
does remain of him is his
art—both films and paint-
ings. Whatever you think
about his career, either
the ups or the downs, the
fact remains that his pres-
ence and name are forever
etched in the canon of “genius”
modern artists worldwide. Isn’t that
a bit ironic?
For more information about
Warhol, visit www.warhol.org. For
local Warhol paintings, the Menil
Collection in Houston has some
great examples of Warhol’s classic
screenprinting technique.
Naomi Klein’s No Logo attacks globalization, brands
I
Sara,Gray
A cV L Id >rn >R
It is luxuriously easy to go
through this life blind to politics,
i he complexities, trie endless,
seemingly pointless debates, the
"same shit, different piles" situa-
tion of the party system, the lob-
bying, the "issues "--even trying
to define what's going on in our
country involves more scholar-
ship than many are prepared to
undergo. I personally have put as
little stock into public politics and
problems as possible, fed up as I
am with both the media's Star Wars
soap opera portrayal of things and
"experts refusing to stoop down to
common language. Plus, we’ve all
made the same excuses to ourselves:
“I'll find time to be more active
when I'm not so busy." I'he word
“globalization" has been thrown
around these days like so many
rocks into the Starbucks window
Upcoming Shows
2/15 Alice Peacock, John Gorka (Cactus Cafe); Schatzi
(Emo’s); Django Walker (Vibe)
2/16 Jimmy Eat World (Emo’s); Matthew Ryan, Kasey
Chambers (La Zona Rosa); Bastard Sons of Johnny
Cash (Stubb’s)
2/17: Clutch, Mindless Self Indulgence, System of a Down
(Austin Music Hall), Bob Schneider, Darden Smith,
Monte Montgomery, Abra Moore, Ginger MacKenzie,
Patrice Pike & The Black Box Rebellion, Reckless
Kelly (La Zona Rosa)
2/18 Dexter Romwebber (Of Flat Duo Jets) (Emo’s)
2/19 ” Mary Gauthier (Cactus Cafe)
2/20: Llama, OAR (La Zona Rosa)
2/21: James Mathus & His Knockdown Society, Buddy Guy
(Antone’s), Indigo Girls (Mercury Lounge)
2/22: James Mathus & His Knockdown Society, Buddy Guy
(Antone s); Jay Farrar (Mercury at Jazz)
2/23: Alejandro Escovedo (Cactus Cafe); Asylum Street
Spankers, Guy Forsyth (Saxon Puh)
2/24: Bob Dylan (Frank Erwin Center)
2/27: Eli Stone, Dust For Life, Wu-Tang Clan (Stubb s)
2/28: And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Explo
sions in the Sky (Emo’s)
3/2 Headstrong. Injected, Speedealer, Fu Manchu (Emo’s)
3/3 * Ben Kweller, Anniversary, Le Tigre, Dashboard Con
fessional (Emo’s)
3/4 Aveo, Death Cab for Cutie, Dismemberment Plan (Emo’s)
3/10 The Divine Comedy, Ben Folds (La Zona Rosa)
3/18: Supersuckers (Antone’s)
3/27: Les, Nelly Furtado (Austin Music Hall)
3/28: Shaun Groves, Jennifer Knapp, Jars Of Clay (Stubb s)
4/4: The String Cheese Incident, Tenacious D (Waterloo Park)
4/8: Plaid (Mercury Lounge)
*iff
New Music Releases: 2/19
Bottle Rockets: Songs of Sahm (Bloodshot)
Buffalo Daughter- /. (Emperor Norton)
Dimmu Borgir: Alive in Torment (Nuclear Blast America)
Tanya Donelly: Beautysleep (4AD)
Echo & The Bunnymen: Live in Liverpool (Spin Art)
Orandaddy: Concrete Dunes (Lakeshore)
Lambchop: Is a Woman (Merge)
Less Than Jake: Goodbye Blue and White (Fueled by Ramen)
Sneaker Pimps: Blood Sport (Tommy Boy)
Teenage Fanclub: Words of Wisdom and Hope (Alternative Tentacles)
Beatnutr. Classic Nuts, Vol. 1 (Relativity) V# ” '
TWo Tons Of Steal: Tuesday Live From Griiene Hall (Big Bellied)
Audio Explorations: Action Reaction (Eskimo Kiss)
Pretty Boy Flotfd: Live At The Pretty Ugly Club (Perris)
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i-
of public consciousness, but mil-
lions are still uninformed or uncar-
ing about the very close-to-home
implications of what globalization
has wrought Sweatshops9 Sponsor-
ship9 Copyrights9 Mergers? It's all
suspicious, to be sure, but we’ve
got tests, loans and dates to worry
about, and global synergy seems
about as pertinent to my life as the
next man-boy love convention.
Yet there are moments such as
the WTC crashes, and there are
publications like the clear, concise
work of Noam Chomsky that gal-
vanize even the most apathetic
into passion, and Canadian journal-
ist Naomi Klein's masterpiece No
Togo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bul-
lies is one of these. Like many, my
view of globalization, aside from
vague capitalist politics, was of
hypocritical World Trade Organiza-
tion rioters who wore Nikes and
dreadlocks. The actions of brand
multinationals and the people who
hate them seemed too far removed
from my life to matter-until I read
No Togo. Klein defines the actions
of brand giants and anti-globaliza-
tion activists in clever, engaging and
jargon-free language. In four parts,
entitled “No Space," “No Choice,"
“No Jobs" and “No Logo,” Klein
analyzes our branded cultural land-
scape and envisions a frightening
future, though one not without
hope.
l or those interested in the history
and psychology of advertising, “No
Space" provides a fascinating rec-
ollection of how branding took hold
in North America’s mass media.
Klein chronicles the rise of such
superbrands as Starbucks, Coca-
Cola, The Body Shop and Nike and
how their advertising grew from the
mere selling of “things” into sell-
ing “ideas," lifestyles and attitudes.
“Branding, in its truest and most
advanced incarnations, is about cor-
porate transcendence" (21) Klein
argues.
As she sees it, multinational cor-
poratidns-with advertising budgets
that surpass the. budgets of small
countries--seek to transcend being
tied to a mpterial product in any
way, including the human hands that
must be hired to make and sell the
products that house precious brands.
“No Space" reads quick and har-
rowing. especially for those of us
who know exactly what demographic
into which we fall. Evidence of
Klein’s observations of brand-mad-
ness are easy to find; just walk
into any Disney Store, and one will
find the true “branded experience.”
Try not to see the tactics used by
multinationals to get their brands
acknowledged at any cost: American
Olympic contenders with branded
suits, the buying out of Austin res-
taurant Banzai by Diesel Jeans. Even
such seemingly progressive move-
ments as feminism and gay rights
aren't immune, for brands like Vir-
ginia Slims and Diesel have appro-
priated their messages to sell product.
Perhaps more frightening for us as
students and professors is the brand-
ing of academic spaces, as schools
hard-up for funds accept donations
from private corporations--in return
for having that Nike swoosh on
the basketball floor and Gatorade in
every gullet.
Those already primed txr hating
commercials will take all this to
heart, but what about the others?
Many of us like our Frappucinos and
Big Macs just line, thank you. Yet
-complacency is hard to hold on ter
as Klein moves into “No Choice,”
where she tackles issues of corpo-
rate censorship and intellectual prop-
erty. In one-dollar-word terms, it is
nearly impossible to talk back to cor-
porations that pull down websites
like Kmart Sucks due to “copyright
infringement." for hardly anyone
has the money, the lawyers and the
power.
Klein writes that not only is free
speech at stake in our branded world,
but our f uture livelihoods are as well.
“No Jobs" details the results of cor-
porations’ “transcendence" of mate-
rial products by showing how they
thrive on the exploitation of Third
and First World workers alike. Even
th'* most die-hard consumer must
cringe at the grossly inhuman treat-
ment that workers in Central Amer-
ica and Sri Lanka undergo to make
those cozy London Fog jackets.
While it may be easy to pretend
that sweatshops are out of sight
and mind, “No Jobs” strikes at the
heart of many a college student’s
worry: Wdl I find a good job?
Klein’s answer is bleak as she
elaborates with detail the heart-
less tactics of businesses in using
part-time slots, firing and rehir-
ing and minimum wage to escape
the tedium of actually providing a
living for workers.
Yet there is a light at the end of
the tunnel, and this light is held by
millions of dissatisfied activists
and consumers, whose stories of
triumph are detailed in the book’s
final section, “No Logo.” Here,
Klein charts the early movements
of culture-jammers and other
protesters against multinational
globalization, and the tale is
exhilarating. She describes finite,
very possible avenues of protest
that almost anyone can do. Klein
also does a deft job of navigating
around the complexities and prob-
lems inherent in certain forms of
protest, a move that practically
prophesies the nqedless violence
that occurred at the WTO riots in
Seattle and Geneva not long after
No Logo was published.
If one is to take anything from
No Logo, it is that the concept
of “selling out” is now meaning-
less. We’re “already sold,” as Klein
intones, but our lives as consumers
doesn't mean that we are powerless.
KleinVstaggering treatise is proof
enough that action has already been
taken to call multinationals out on
their infringements of public space,
freedom and health. With tbols such
as No Logo at our disposal, glo-
balization needn't be a confusing,
hopeless problem.
•Ml 11 * IMHHIlt Ml Ilf SHRIKE IHTICBRPIIITf MIVfltlT
ft nmp-rtr, uv«i tngntfty nuntffront un im wffiHivft Men irm 901HDgUTWiT
matkeling hit had on cullura work, and lonsunihr chokft. —The Village Voice
!AKINS AIM AT IKE BRAND lltUIS NAOMI RUIN
Photo Cpurtesy of Picador USA
Naomi Klein: No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies.
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Megaphone (Georgetown, Tex.), Vol. 96, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 14, 2002, newspaper, February 14, 2002; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth634137/m1/4/?q=%22~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Southwestern University.