The Nevada Museum of Art is pleased to announce the opening of Andy Warhol: Athletes, a collection of 10 paintings by the iconic artist featuring some of the most celebrated sport stars of the 1970s.
Andy Warhol: Athletes immortalizes 10 athletes in Warhol’s signature style of screen-printing – a project commissioned by his friend and collector Richard Weisman. The exhibition also includes a portrait of Weisman painted by Warhol.
The exhibition exemplifies the changing nature of fame in the twentieth century as sports figures became celebrities in American popular culture. The athletes featured in this series benefitted from newfound celebrity status following the series due to Warhol’s international fame. Featured sport stars include Muhammad Ali, O.J. Simpson, Tom Seaver, Rod Gilbert, Jack Nicklaus, Dorothy Hamill, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Chris Evert, Willie Shoemaker and Pelé. Each of the paintings measure 40 x 40 inches.