Lichtenstein, Warhol exhibits among notables at Gallery of Fine Art
Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol are among the notable 20th century painters gracing the newest exhibit at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art inside the Bellagio Hotel and Casino complex.
The current exhibit, Classic Contemporary: Lichtenstein, Warhol & Friends, features important paintings and sculpture by major contemporary artists with a focus on the 1960s and 1970s.
Organized in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, this exhibition marks a transition by the gallery to showcase the next generation of artists following the late 19th and early 20th century masterworks found in previous displays. All the artworks are courtesy of the San Diego museum.
“This collection is a very synthesized snapshot of three periods of art — Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art and Minimalism,” said Michele C. Quinn, curatorial advisor for MGM MIRAGE, which owns the Bellagio
Artists featured in Classic Contemporary: Lichtenstein, Warhol & Friends were the leaders of their generation. Included are large-scale paintings, sculpture and works on paper of Lichtenstein, Warhol, Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, Sol LeWitt and Ed Ruscha, among others.
Because of their innovative use of material and imagery, these artists and their works were at the forefront of Pop Art and Minimalism worldwide.
Masterworks on display include Lichtenstein’s Mirror (1971), a deadpan depiction of a mirror’s surface that preposterously reflects its own schematized representation; Stella’s Sabra III (1967), strikingly decorative, monumental canvas sections derived from the lines of a mechanical protractor curve, and Sol LeWitt’s Floor Piece #4 (1976), one in a series of compositions based on the cube, his fundamental modular unit. Also on view are classic examples of Abstract Expressionism by Hans Hofmann and Clyfford Still, precursors to the 1960s movements.
Some works will be rotated on and off display to limit their exposure to the harmful effects of light. For example Warhol’s two Maos and his Flowers will be taken out and his set of Soup Cans will go in.
Since opening in 1998, BGFA has presented exhibitions of artworks and objects drawn from internationally acclaimed museums and private collections. Exhibits generally change twice a year. The Gallery Store offers limited edition works of art as well as a wide selection of prints, books, stationery and unique gifts.
For directions to get to the gallery once within the complex, click here. Audio tours are available in English and Spanish.
- by Bobbie Katz, Las Vegas Reporter for HelloMetro
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