Warhol. Christmas. Art.

As this strange year comes to an end, I wanted to look back at one of (the few) places I managed to visit in 2020, Tate Modern. Back in October, pre Lockdown 2, I took a trip to London to see the Andy Warhol exhibition which with the onset of the first lockdown, I feared I wouldn’t get the chance to see. It wasn’t like a usual trip there, we drove most of the way rather than getting the train, avoided the tube and of course, were masked up for the whole day. Yet despite these differences and the eerie quiet of a usually bustling London, for the time that I was in the gallery, things felt normal. Art is such great escapism at any time, but particularly now. You can forget things for a while, get lost in someone else’s world, discovering their thoughts, feelings and perspectives and seeing things through their eyes.

I can’t remember when I started liking Andy Warhol. I imagine it may have even been as early as school, seeing his bright pop art pieces with their bold colours and familiar subject matter that almost everyone seems to recognise. But this wasn’t all he did, he also created beautiful drawings and sketches, installations and videos, all of which featured in the show. With Christmas fast approaching, I have brought out a book I was given several years ago called “Greetings from Andy Warhol – Christmas at Tiffany’s”, a book filled with drawings he did for Christmas cards and holiday invitations for Tiffany's. The images are so beautiful, simple and bold but not in the same way as his famous pop art screen prints. He has an unmistakable style in his drawings too.

The cards in this book are each very much their own little work of art. How I would have loved to have got one of those in the post! I love cards, not just at Christmas. I think that most of us are guilty of being secret card hoarders, buying ones that appeal to us without having a recipient in mind, even hanging on to particularly special ones we have been sent. I also have a HUGE stack of postcards that I collect from any gallery show I see (this one being no exception). I feel like this year, when we haven’t been able to see one another, sending a card to let someone know you are thinking of them is more important than ever. Not only that but you are sending them something beautiful to look at, the gift of a small piece of escapism, even just for a few moments. There are so many artists out there making amazing Christmas cards, why not support a small business or local artist this Christmas by buying a couple of cards from them to send to your most special people. As one of them myself, I know the artists would really appreciate the support! Check out Etsy (my robin cards are on my page here) or Facebook pages such as Let’s Buy Art For Christmas.

The Andy Warhol exhibition has now finished at the Tate, but you can take a virtual tour here.

Rx