Andy Warhol: 1950s Drawings

Marc Jancou Contemporary, Geneva is pleased to present Andy Warhol: 1950s Drawings. Opening May 28th the exhibition features 12 drawings including portraits, figures and a suite of jean-clad torsos. This is Marc Jancou Contemporary’s first solo exhibition for the artist.

Andy Warhol’s drawings from the 1950s are a revelation. They show another, more intimate side of Warhol, an artist cherished for his pop art soup cans, hypercolored Marilyn Monroes, and large-scaled money signs. Here we see the artist leading up to his mature style. We find a skilled and thoughtful draftsman producing images from his day-to-day surroundings. Very much present is Warhol’s sense of whimsy and masterful line.

Warhol’s drawings from the 1950s were created during the artist’s first years in New York after finishing his studies at the Carnegie Institue of Technology and working as a commercial artist. He is using his characteristic loose, blotted-ink style of drawing and displays a casual approach to image-making where mistakes are not only tolerated but celebrated. In his book POPism Warhol writes, "When you do something exactly wrong, you always turn up something."

Andy Warhol: 1950s Drawings. showcases a lesser-know Warhol, offering a thrilling glimpse into a moment of uncertainty and excitement in his life and artistic career.