We paid a visit to a vibrant, accessible (link: http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag/whats-on/love-is-enough-william-morris-and-andy-warhol text: exhibition), curated by Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller. It’s a smart bringing-together of work by Andy Warhol and William Morris, the designer and outstanding figure of the 19th century Arts and Crafts movement.
And it reminded us of some of the best thinking at another, slightly more exclusive exhibition – the Cannes International Festival of Creativity.
Both Morris and Warhol operated studio systems similar to the ad agency model. Both were commercial artists. Warhol had worked as an illustrator and was the recipient of several advertising awards in the 1950s. And later he turned advertising and brands, all the while describing himself as a ‘business artist.’ Morris used commercial processes coupled with the talents and skills of craftsmen and women to produce his designs.
Morris and Warhol very much defined the respective eras in which they lived – and every ad agency worth knowing about today manages to do just that. Think about how attuned to the times this year’s big Cannes contenders are. Leo Burnett’s #Like a Girl Superbowl spot. Droga5’s I Will What I Want with Gisele Bündchen. And FCB Inferno’s This Girl Can.
The point is, these aren’t just ads. They go beyond brands. They hold up a mirror to the world around us.
Love is Enough: William Morris and Andy Warhol
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Until 6 September