Shadows Fill Up Your Innermost Desires

Garland Dyer
February 16, 2015
Filed under Arts

Andy Warhol Photo courtesy of Garland Dyer

One hundred and two moods filled the room. An ambiance of dark, yet glamorous sexual themes paint the scene. The images were mysterious as they were beautiful. Andy Warhol (1928–1987) created 102 shadows that are hand painted and silkscreened prints of photographs.

Each canvas measures beautifully to 76 x 52 inches (a little larger than a door). The canvas doesn’t overwhelm you, but is simple enough to capture your attention as it elevates off the floor in front of you at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).

MOCA Senior Curator, Bennett Simpson explains, “The theme for Shadows, is about sexuality, dreams, and relationships.”

As you walk in MOCA, famously located in Los Angeles, you’ll find an ambiance of different rooms, each with its own originality, yet a feeling of nostalgia. It’s like watching a film projector scroll through different images until it becomes one. That’s the scene created by Simpson who coordinated the 102 canvas linked together.

MOCA is only the second institution ever to feature the full collection of Andy Warhol: Shadows collection.

Simpson commented that, “If you go to the whole question of shadow: Peter Pan lost his shadow or if you talk about psychology like Freud or Jung they talk about the shadow as a figure, a certain aspect of dreams. All of those things are operating here and Warhol is playing with all those ideas.”

Andy Warhol wanted to depict drugs, sex, and relationships. It is both bright and glamorous as it is dark and mysterious. It’s Warhol’s glimpse into the late 70s that you can experience in modern day.

The price of the exhibit was $7 with a student ID or $12 for general admission. Check out current or future installations with for the same price. Each canvas from the 102 is uniquely different yet is a part of the story that creates the film projector effect of Shadows.