An in-your-face commentary on society, the new “Rapid Exposure: Warhol in Series” exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) really “pops.”

Upon entering the gallery, the viewer is exposed to the image of a series of brightly colored cows covering a central panel facing the lobby, announcing boldly the exhibits presence to all who enter.
Andy Warhol’s harmoniously and jarringly colored paintings and prints can be read as a criticism on popular culture.

A chronological overview of more than 100 of the Pop artist’s work, the exhibit contains works representational of the main currents throughout his career.

Highlights include the famous sixteen-panel “Jackie”s (1964–1966), and the monumental silkscreen portfolios “Flash—November 22, 1963” (1968), “Campbell’s Soup II” (1969), “Flowers” (1970), “Electric Chair” (1971), “Mao” (1972) and “Endangered Specie”s (1983).

Pop Art was an art movement in the late 1950s and 60s that reflected everyday life and common objects.

Pop Artists challenged the boundaries of art and blurred the boundaries between fine art and popular culture.

Warhol appropriated images of subjects from magazines, newspapers and press photos and transformed them into large scale prints and paintings.

“’Rapid Exposure’” investigates in depth the repeated image that is central to Warhol’s aesthetic,” said Richard H. Axsom, Senior Curator of Prints and Photographs at the GRAM.

Warhol used the repetition of media events to critique and reframe cultural ideas through his art.
For him, each variation on the repeated image brought further layers of commentary.

Though involved in Pop Art before his famous “Campbell’s Soup Cans” (1962), initially that is what brought Warhol into the public eye.

Warhol took the mundane image of the soup can and blew it up and repeated it, making it into something iconic people noticed.

Thus, the exhibit would not be complete without “Campbell’s Soup II” (1969).

The exhibit showcases works full of meaning, from the dark side of human existence, to the wildly brilliant display of painting and color, celebrity and extravagance. In his celebration and critique of fame, politics and consumer society, he explores the fleeting nature of humanity.

Warhol uses color to camouflage the underlying shocking subject matter and requires the viewer to take a closer look to realize the deeper implications. In “Electric Chair” (1977) his play with color changes the connotation within the image.

Each alteration gives the image a new ambiance, as different color combinations evoke unique thoughts within each individual.

Overall I found the exhibit to be rather tasteful and well-rounded.

Whether colorful depictions of animals in “Endangered Species,” celebrity portraits, the jarring “Death and Disaster Series” or silkscreen demonstrations, there is something for everyone.

Visit www.GRAMonline.org to learn more about Pop Art, see a Warhol video or preview the exhibit, which is open to the public through June 15.