TIFF shows Andy Warhol’s celebrity obsession with new exhibit

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN SAGADORE

The Andy Warhol Museum has collaborated with the TIFF Bell Lightbox to share the legendary pop artist’s celebrity obsession with the public.

Selected artwork and personal memorabilia of Warhol’s is on display at the TIFF Bell Lightbox’s Andy Warhol: Stars of the Silver Screen exhibit.

The exhibit features more than 1,000 artifacts of Hollywood memorabilia that Warhol collected in his early years. His vintage photographs of icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, celebrity clothing items, scrapbooks and vintage pop culture magazines are just a few of the rare items that are on display.

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“TIFF has done a great job with setting the overall theme of the exhibit,” said Galya Kabbani, a first year nursing student at George Brown College, who attended the exhibit on Saturday. “It shows us Warhol’s obsession with celebrity culture way before it was a common thing. He was kind of the pioneer of our modern culture.”

The outside view of the TIFF Bell Lightbox featuring massive Andy Warhol banner.

The exhibit also features Warhol’s own contributions to pop culture with his silkscreen portraits, photographs and is screening clips of various “Warhol superstars,” such as actor Joe Dallesandro, singer Nico and fashion model Edie Sedgwick.

TIFF has faithfully recreated the aesthetic of Warhol’s main studio from 1962-68 known as The Factory. From the tinsel-covered walls to retro-looking red couch, this allows the viewer to enter Warhol’s world.

“It’s astonishing to see how well this room resembles his Factory,” said Tim Becker, a longtime Warhol follower, who also took in the display. “I really feel like I understand his creative processes after seeing this. As a lifelong fan this is an absolute treat.”

Throughout The Factory room are wall-mounted TV screens that show some of Warhol’s legendary “screen tests” and interviews with such celebrities such as Dennis Hopper and Liza Minnelli.

Before visitors leave the exhibit, they are invited to have their own “15 minutes of fame” by using the Screen Test Machine, a recreation of Warhol’s 16mm Bolex camera that is connected to a touch-screen computer. People sit in front of the camera and can choose the lighting and background and can pose anyway they choose for the five-minute duration. After the camera stops rolling subjects are emailed the final product.

The Stars of the Silver Screen exhibit, which opened Oct. 30, will be running until Jan. 24.