The second half of the exhibition offers a rare chance to see early, under-the-radar works of pop-up pioneer Andy Warhol. Most notably, the gallery was able to gather a complete collection of lithographs of his 1956 book, In Bottom of My Garden. Dating back to the beginning stages of Warhol’s career as a commercial artist, the illustrations of fairies and putti frolicking in a garden have an entirely different tone than Warhol’s silkscreen prints. With later works—such as the original 1972 print of the Chinese ruler Mao Zedong—on display, HG Contemporary’s exhibition offers an unprecedented opportunity to compare and contrast Warhol’s more refined, later works with his commercial beginnings.
As Hoerle-Guggenheim explained, supporting meaningful causes is a core part of HG Contemporary’s mission. Thus, the funds raised through sales at the opening reception on Thursday evening will benefit the “Models against Addiction” foundation, whose mission is to raise public awareness to the stigma of addictive behavior.
The opening reception took place on Thursday, June 8th from 6pm-9pm and the exhibition will be on view June 8th to June 25th, 2017.