Warhol in nature–Warhol in Milford

Photographers Christopher Makos and Paul Solberg will bring an exhibit focused on artist Andy Warhol and his relationship to nature to Forest Hall in Milford on September 23. Makos was a friend of Warhol in the 1970s and 1980s and documented some of Warhol’s life at The Factory--Warhol’s studio in New York, and amid the New York social scene of that era. This exhibit shows a more serene Warhol pursuing a restorative engagement with the environment–at the beach, in the woods, and in the Colorado mountains. These photos show a Warhol different from the Andy Warhol often seen as a plastic figure obsessed with consumerism, advertising, and shallow society.

These photographs will be exhibited along with Paul Solberg’s flower photographs. Solberg’s exploration of the flower, as a symbol, in an isolated studio setting is reminiscent of Warhol’s screen-printed flower series in the early 1970s. Lighting highlights flower anatomy.

Makos and Solberg have an invitation-only studio in New York City, but are no strangers to Milford and are drawn to its aesthetics. They are fascinated with Forest Hall, known as the birthplace of the American Conservation Movement. They feel that their combined images bring a celebratory approach to the natural world which is made even more meaningful by the fact that they can be seen in this historic venue.

Solberg’s photographs are featured in the Hotel Fauchere Lobby and in the guest rooms. He did the horse and flower diptych (two unrelated images in the same photo) in Bar Louis. Paul said, “We have found that the town is so connected with a wonderful spirit and we want to celebrate this connectedness with this exhibit.”

Chris said, “ Sean Strub was the original inspiration for the exhibit and Bill Rosado is taking it to a new level with this incredible asset of Forest Hall.”

The timing is apt for a Warhol exhibit, with a resurgence of interest in Warhol more than 35 years after his death. The recent exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum’s “Andy Warhol: Revelation” and the current Netflix series, “The Andy Warhol Diaries” have contributed to this. The price of Warhol’s “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” fetched $195 million at a Christie’s auction in May of this year.