“We condemn the tragic shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the city where our founder, Andy Warhol, was born and raised. We offer our sincere condolences to the friends and families of the victims of this tragedy. This act and all hateful acts of violence seek to silence and destroy communities that have a long history of being marginalized. We are reminded of the importance of diverse perspectives and why the Foundation actively works to fight inequities in our culture. In 1980, Warhol produced a series of portraits of notable Jewish thinkers and icons, entitled Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century. We are sharing these images today to honor these leaders and to voice our support for the Jewish community at large,” Joel Wachs, President of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
30 October 2018
Foundation President Responds to Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting
1964
Philip Johnson commissioned Warhol to make a large-scale work for the exterior for his pavilion for the New York World’s Fair, along with other artists. Warhol’s provocative response, a multiple portrait of ‘Most Wanted Men’ was installed a few days before the opening but was deemed too inflammatory and contrary to the upbeat image of the World’s Fair and the work was taken down.