So, I’ve been meaning to write about the exhibit I saw this weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal: Andy Warhol Live. The exhibit explores the influence of music and dance on Warhol. Most interesting were pieces produced before his iconic silkscreens. Illustrations for Opera News, and designs for a series of ballroom dance instruction booklets came as a rare treat. Also notable was the entire collection of 50 album covers designed by Warhol including Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and the infamous Sticky Fingers album cover for the Rolling Stones which was actually banned in Spain and Singapore. You can view 35/50 of the albums Andy Warhol has designed here. It was also exciting to finally see portraits of musicians in person in a gallery setting with the original Polaroids the screens were based on.

Also on display were some of the screen tests Warhol filmed in the mid sixties of members of the Velvet Underground, as well as other “Moving Portraits”: Sleep, which featured poet John Giorno, his lover at the time, asleep for 6 hours. And a projection of Empire, a “Moving Portrait” of the Empire State Building.

On a related note, Plexifilm in conjunction with the Andy Warhol Museum will be releasing 13 Most Beautiful… Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests featuring Warhol’s original silent film portraits of Nico, Lou Reed, Edie Sedgwick, Dennis Hopper and others with newly commissioned soundtracks by: Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips.

Warhol Live
Sept. 25 – Jan 18
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
1379 Rue Sherbrooke Est

Everything happens for a reason. Good or bad. The challenge is finding a way not to go insane while waiting for that light to appear at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes when you’re caught up in your daily routines, you forget where your true passions and inspirations lie.

When you’re finally reminded of what those are, you’re better armed to focus your energies and set your sights on what you want and challenge yourself at the fringes of your ability. Rekindling your relationship with patience also becomes easier when there isn’t any retard appeasement to slow you down.