Warhol understood that fame is a social fig leaf on personal vacuousness. Peyton thinks it is the fullness of being, showing how shallow her understanding of celebrity is compared to Warhol’s. His awareness that fame dies -- thus the fame of his death imagery -- was his way of debunking it. Peyton blindly embraces it, not knowing it is the kiss of death. Thus she is the victim of fame rather than its master, like Warhol. He made the famous jump through his photographic hoop, like animals in a circus, while Peyton adores and pets them, never realizing, as Warhol did, that they are beasts one doesn’t dare get close to. Peyton cozies up to her human subject matter, while Warhol coolly stares it down, for he knows that it is just another matter of social fact, and he knows its secret vulnerability.

- bill 11-04-2008 6:35 pm

"No sooner had Barack Obama been declared president elect of the United States than the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York marked the momentous occasion by adding a painting of future first lady Michelle Obama to "Live Forever," the current exhibition of work by Elizabeth Peyton..."
- bill 11-06-2008 2:50 am [add a comment]





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