A pop art style portrait of a woman with red lips and accentuated eyes, holding her hands near her face, overlaid with vibrant geometric shapes in yellow, pink, purple, and blue.

Andy Warhol: Plus One
L'observateur permanent

Presented by Dr. Jay Culotta

Photographic and screenprint works that reflect on the intimate, observational, and voyeuristic dimensions of the artist’s life and practice.

March 7 – August 15, 2026

Andy Warhol est largement considéré comme l'un des créateurs d'images les plus influents du XXe siècle. Des décennies avant l'avènement des réseaux sociaux, Warhol vivait déjà comme le premier véritable « créateur de contenu ». Observateur acharné de son environnement, il enregistrait, remixait et diffusait constamment des images iconiques des personnages et des événements gravitant dans son orbite — des célébrités et des fêtes mondaines aux activités de son studio, en passant par les moments de calme plus intimes. Warhol capturait tout ce qui croisait son chemin, bâtissant un journal visuel intime à travers la photographie, brouillant ainsi les frontières entre sa pratique en atelier, la documentation et sa vie personnelle. À l'instar de notre culture numérique actuelle, l'appareil photo était au cœur de sa démarche : à travers son objectif, il transformait ses observations en une véritable méthode artistique. L'exposition Plus One révèle une dimension essentielle, bien que souvent méconnue, de son travail photographique, tout en présentant ses techniques de gravure les plus célèbres.

Plus One explore le concept de « cercle restreint » et de ces compagnons invités à participer et à observer des occasions spéciales ou des événements privés. Des photographies spontanées de Jon Gould, le partenaire de Warhol, se préparant à surfer sur la plage, à l'artiste Victor Hugo manipulant une toile vierge dans l'atelier, jusqu'aux scènes de fêtes et de sessions de travail, l'exposition invite à une réflexion sur les dimensions intimes, observationnelles et parfois voyeuristes de la vie et de la pratique de Warhol. Plus One incite les visiteurs à considérer comment les relations façonnent nos expériences et comment la présence d'un « invité » (un plus one) peut altérer, de manière subtile mais profonde, le cours d'un instant ou d'un souvenir.

The Hilliard Art Museum’s collection of Warhol photography was donated to the museum from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts’ Photographic Legacy Project, which began in 2007. Through this initiative, nearly 30,000 photographs were distributed from his estate to institutions around the country, broadening the reach of this vital and lesser-known part of Warhol’s practice.

About Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol, both during his life and posthumously, is widely recognized as one of the leading image makers of the 20th century. His work focused not only on recontextualizing the ubiquity of everyday imagery, consumer and celebrity culture, but also on his own fervent consumption and documentation of the times and his surroundings. Photography played a major role within Warhol’s studio practice, spanning traditional black-and-white images, extensive use of the Polaroid camera, and later experiments with 35mm point-and-shoot cameras.

A man in swim trunks stands on a surfboard on the grass in front of a row of beach cottages, holding what appears to be a leash and gesturing with his hands, as if balancing. The scene is in black and white.

A man in a tan suit and striped tie rests his chin on his hand, gazing thoughtfully to the side. He has dark hair and wears a wristwatch. The photo has a Polaroid-style frame.

A black-and-white photo of a woman with closed eyes holding a naked baby against her chest. Both appear calm and intimate, draped with a blanket, set against a plain background.

A smiling older woman with dark, wavy hair and a white streak, wearing red lipstick, pearl earrings, and a strapless lilac top, posed against a pale background.

A woman with dark, shoulder-length hair styled with braids and gold beads looks at the camera. She has bangs, striking eye makeup, and red lipstick, wearing a strapless patterned top against a light background.

A man with a mustache stands indoors on a wooden floor, partially hidden behind a large white sheet he is holding, with a closed door in the background.

A young woman with short blonde hair holds a wooden tennis racket over her shoulder, wearing a white tank top and looking at the camera with a slight smile against a plain background.

A stylized portrait of a woman with dark hair and bold lipstick, surrounded by overlapping geometric shapes in yellow, pink, and blue tones. The image combines sketch lines and vibrant color blocks for a modern, artistic effect.

Andy Warhol: Plus One L'observateur permanent

Photographic and screenprint works that reflect on the intimate, observational, and voyeuristic dimensions of the artist’s life and practice.

About Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol: Plus One
L'observateur permanent