Baton Rouge, Louisiana— The LSU Museum of Art in Baton Rouge premieres Andy Warhol / Friends & Frenemies: Prints from the Cochran Collection, January, 11, 2024. The exhibition features over ninety serigraphs, etchings, woodblocks, and lithographs by American and European masters, active between the late 1960s to the early 1990s. These decades represent a unique era of innovation and discovery, with many artists, such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Rauschenberg, and Willem de Kooning, experimenting with imagery, styles, and materials. Their work alludes to cultural and societal shifts sweeping across America as the country emerged from the 1960s, a time of growing consumerism, political scandals, recession, the Vietnam War, and mounting tensions with the Soviet Union. Coined the Me Generation, individuals prioritized their own needs, aspirations, and identities, often departing from the more collective ideologies of previous decades. The era witnessed the rise of countercultural factions and identity politics, including the American Indian Movement, the Gay Liberation Movement, and the second wave of feminism, which propelled conversations about individuality and autonomy to the forefront. The Me Generation’s influence reverberated across society, impacting music, literature, fashion, and art, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.

The exhibition highlights thirty-six original prints by Andy Warhol, exhibited alongside over sixty works by twentieth-century artists who tested the boundaries of the established art world. The show includes examples of abstract expressionism, pop art, neo-expressionism, conceptualism, and minimalism, by an array of artists working in and around the East Coast. They redefined American art, evolving it into a conduit for personal catharsis, social justice, or experimental practice, reflecting the era’s emphasis on self-discovery and introspection. Artists of this period deliberately transcended societal norms and explored unique perspectives, defying entrenched conventions with the development of innovative styles and imagery, creating a complex tapestry that mirrored the evolving society.

The Cochran Collection is owned by Wesley and Missy Cochran of LaGrange, Georgia. The couple has devoted their lives to supporting artists and acquiring art, amassing a vast collection of twentieth-century works on paper representing a wide range of mediums, movements, and styles. Andy Warhol / Friends & Frenemies will be on view through March 31, 2024. Visit www.lsumoa.org to learn more about the exhibition and upcoming programming at the LSU Museum of Art.

The exhibition will be on view at the LSU Museum of Art from January 11, 2024 to March 31, 2024.

This exhibition is supported by a generous grant from the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation.

Stay tuned for program announcements in association with this exhibition.

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ABOUT LSU MUSEUM OF ART

LSU Museum of Art seeks to enrich and inspire through collections, exhibitions, conservation, and education, serving as a cultural and intellectual resource for the University, Baton Rouge, and beyond.

LSU Museum of Art is supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. LSU Museum of Art is supported in part by a grant from the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, funded by the East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President & Metro Council. Funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding for the 2023 Emergency Planning Grant has been provided by the State of Louisiana and administered by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Additional support is provided by generous donors to the Annual Exhibition Fund: The Imo N. Brown Memorial Fund in memory of Heidel Brown and Mary Ann Brown; The Alma Lee, H. N., and Cary Saurage Fund; Charles “Chuck” Edward Schwing; Robert and Linda Bowsher; and The Newton B. Thomas Family/Newtron Group Fund. The Louisiana Lottery Corporation sponsors free admission for Free First Sundays and Free Friday Nights. Free admission for Toddler Thursday is sponsored by the Junior League of Baton Rouge. Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.

VISITOR INFORMATION

The museum is located in downtown Baton Rouge at 100 Lafayette Street on the Fifth Floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts. General admission is $5 each for adults and children age 13 and over. Admission is free to university faculty and students with ID, children age 12 and under, and museum members. Active-duty military and veterans, first responders, and their families receive free admission with ID as part of the Blue Star Museums program. Show your EBT card and photo ID at the admissions desk and receive free admission for up to 4 individuals as part of the Museums for All initiative. Museum Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m.; and closed on Mondays and major holidays. Free admission occurs on the first Sunday of each month and every Friday night from 5-8 p.m. For more information: visit www.lsumoa.org, call 225-389-7200, and follow the museum on social media @lsumoa for exhibition and program updates.