John Romano

Andy Warhol Whitney Exhibit

Andy Warhol has created several films in his time. At the Whitney Museum this weekend I got to experience several of his experimental short films. I want to talk about one in particular because It was short but deep. I believe most of Andy’s films are about challenging the idea of what is art.

“Andy Warhol eating a hamburger” is a film that was shot in the 1980s by Jørgen Leth. Warhol decided to be a part of the film for several reasons. One of the reasons was that It was shot in his style. The film is a single shot film on a single camera much like a lot of  Warhol’s films. At one point Warhol struggles to pour the ketchup but the camera keeps rolling because that is the beauty in this particular film and art form. The idea that everything is art.

I saw this short film at the Whitney Museum in one of the main floors. The film is a little over four minutes long and shows Warhol eating a hamburger for the entire film. When you watch the film for the first time you may think its funny or you may feel uncomfortable. It’s fairly silent until the end when Warhol says his name and what he just did. It’s strange that we feel uncomfortable because he is performing an everyday action of eating something. However, silence is what makes It uncomfortable. He sometimes looks at the camera and other times looks shy and almost vulnerable while eating the burger.

The main point of the film in my opinion, however, is the idea of what is art? Pop art was formed because of the idea that every day things can be art. Art does not have to be unique so eating a hamburger could be art. The normal activities of everyday life can now be turned into art. Who is to question what is and isn’t art? Some people can see art in things that others can’t.

Warhol eating a burger from Burger King also shows that Americans are created equal. Warhol is an American born citizen who I believe took pride in being American. He wanted to show that celebrities eat the same food that regular American citizens eat. The film is digging deep into the American consumer culture. I think this is shown through the film because you expect something to happen during the film but the film just ends up being about a man eating a burger. The reason people watch this film even though it’s just a man eating a hamburger is because of Andy Warhol’s presence. People expect something greater because of a celebrity appearance. If It was shot with a man on the street people would walk away. However, people place celebrities on a pedestal and look up to celebrities even when they do everyday mundane things. The way Warhol moves in the film also shows his character and personality as an artist. He knows how to move an audience in a very simple way.