Culture
Wild for Pop Art
If you live in Zurich, don’t miss out the wonderful Pop Art exhibition at the Gallery Wild. It is featuring 18 original works and 10 serigraphs of American artist James Francis Gill.
James Francis Gill at Art International Zurich in 2012
The Pop Art movement started in the 1950’s in England before heading to the United States and slowly fading away in the 70’s. It is said “Pop Art” was coined by the artist John McHale in 1954. Artists portrayed celebrities and popular objects and used advertisements, collages and newspaper clippings. They often chose vivid colours to express their feelings, thoughts or dreams.
Marilyn Icon MM08 – James Francis Gill copyright Véronique Gray
When you think of Pop Art names like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein come quickly to mind. Who has not seen or heard of the canvas of Warhol Campbell soup cans!
However James Francis Gill was one of the pioneers of Pop Art in the USA and is known for his numerous polyptychs like the “Marilyn Triptych” (1962), exhibited at the NOMA and his “Sao Paulo 9 exhibition – Environment U.S.A.: 1957 – 1967” (1968). In 1968 he also made the cover of Time Magazine with “Alexander Solzhenitsyn”.
Still Life (2002) from Pop Art artist James Francis Gill – copyright Véronique Gray
While he painted many Marilyns, you may have seen his Grace Kelly, Jacky & John F. Kennedy, John Lennon, John Wayn or Cary Grant’s artworks.
From the late 1970’s until the middle of the 2000’s he stayed away from the public scene. This year many of his work is exhibited in Switzerland and Germany.
Galerie Wild has for sale two black and white Marilyns like the “Marilyn Icon MM08” (grease pencil on paper mounted on Masonite board) and some colourful ones like the “Marilyn with Pearl Earing Reflection” (2008) and the fascinating “Marilyn in the Sky” (2012).
Marilyn – James Francis Gill copyright Véronique Gray
Marilyn Icon MM08 (2001) from James Francis Gill – copyright Véronique Gray
Others are the “Mona Lisa Smile” (1999), the watercolour “Grace Kelly WC6” (2003) or the serigraphs “Mo more MM” (2012) and “MM a Critique of Mass Iconology” (2013), the study on the American jazz singer Sarah Lois Vaughan “Sarah Vaughan Study 2” (2008) and “Still Life” (2002).
Mona Lisa Smile – Grease pencil on paper mounted on masonite board – from James Francis Gill – copyright Véronique Gray
Sarah Vaughan Study 2 from James Francis Gill – copyright Véronique Gray
If you have not already done so, maybe it is the right time to give Pop Art a chance!
Where is the Galerie Wild? Heinrichstrasse 215 in Zurich West near the Viadukt
Exhibition: from now until March 28th
******If you live in Germany you can see our previous article with the dates.
