Two exhibitions—rooted in American Pop Art—pay tribute to America’s collective mythology of the West. Andy Warhol was the undisputed leader of American Pop Art—a movement characterized by the use of household items, advertising images, and commercial printing techniques. Warhol’s 1986 Cowboys and Indians series pays tribute to the archetypal symbols of a popular and romanticized version of the American West.
Billy Schenck, founder of the Western Pop Art movement, was inspired by Warhol in the 1970s and has been called the “Warhol of the West.” In this retrospective of his work, Schenck combines influences from film, comics, and his many artist-heroes in a testament to the West’s compelling iconography.
Andy Warhol: Cowboys and Indians
Billy Schenck: Myth of the West
Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
May 25–September 3, 2018
with Annex Design Services; photos by Ann Marshall
