THE FREDERICK R. WEISMAN
MUSEUM OF ART
presents

Pop Culture: Selections from the
Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation

August 25-December 2, 2012

The museum celebrates its 20th anniversary with a reception on September 15.

Malibu, CA--The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University presents Pop Culture: Selections from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation from August 25 through December 2, 2012.

A reception to celebrate the Weisman Museum's 20th anniversary will be held on Saturday, September 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. There is no admission charge and the public is invited to attend.

Pop Art first arose in the early 1960s when artists began to draw inspiration from the new mass media that was transforming the world. This exhibition, organized to mark the Weisman Museum's formal dedication on September 12, 1992, explores the roots of this movement as well as the way subsequent generations of artists have drawn inspiration from popular culture.

The 1960s are represented by vintage and iconic works by founding Pop artists such as Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, and Tom Wesselmann. The complete set of Warhol's silkscreens titled Marilyn Monroe in 10 different color combinations captures the era's fascination with glamour and celebrity. In Rosenquist's Sketch for "Fire Pole" Expo 67 Mural Montreal Canada, the artist shows us only the shoes and lower legs of a man and a metal pole. He could be either a firefighter rushing to save a life or a dancer at a discotheque.

The pioneering Pop artists provided an example for younger artists to draw inspiration from the world around them. Art produced in the 1970s and after reflects a myriad of complex influences, ranging from comic books and graffiti to video games and cell phones.

Wit, irony, and humor are recurrent themes. Jose Luis Quinones' Crushed Orange is an immense photorealist canvas of a crushed can of Orange Crush soda. In his hands, a brand name becomes a physical object, rendered with painstaking, meticulous realism. Joel Morrison's bronze Alligator Shoes depicts a pair of shoes made of reptile leather, complete with menacing alligator teeth.

While some artists were content with borrowing imagery from television, the pioneering video artist Nam June Paik went so far as to create a sculpture made from assembled televisions. His Michelin Man Laser Robot combines television sets from different eras, blending obsolete and current technology. His work reminds us that television is an inescapable experience in the modern world.

Works are on view at the Weisman Museum in the Gregg G. Juarez Gallery, West Gallery, and Ron Wilson-Designer Gallery.

Located on Pepperdine's main campus at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, CA, the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on Mondays and major holidays, including Thanksgiving Day and November 23. There is no admission charge.

For more information, call (310) 506-4851, or visit: http://arts.pepperdine.edu/museum

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KEY DATES:

Exhibition: August 25-December 2, 2012

20th Anniversary Reception: Saturday, September 15, 5-7 p.m.

Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art
Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263

Museum hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays and major holidays, including Thanksgiving Day and November 23.
No admission fee
General information: (310) 506-4851
Museum staff: (310) 506-7257
http://arts.pepperdine.edu/museum

Media Contact: Brad White
Marketing and Publicity Manager
Center for the Arts, Pepperdine University
(310) 506-4055

Images available upon request

Museum Contact:
Michael Zakian, Director
(310) 506-7257

Group Tours Contact:
Monica Chapon
Museum Assistant/Arts Education Coordinator
(310) 506-4766

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