Over the course of a 30-year-long career, Andy Warhol transformed contemporary art. The power of his work comes from its concentration on fundamental human themes – the beauty and glamour of youth and fame, material culture and the passing of time, and the presence of death. Employing mass-production techniques, Warhol challenged preconceived notions about the nature of art and erased traditional distinctions between fine art and popular culture.

Sponsored by ACCBank, the exhibition was the first major showing in Ireland of Warhol’s work. It comprises some 100 works, drawing mainly on the collection of the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, including early drawings from the 1950s as well as better-known iconic works from the 1960s and ’70s, such as the Marilyn, Jackie, Mao and Cambell’s Soup Can paintings. Examples of Warhol’s Cow Wallpaper, Cloud Pillows, disaster paintings and a range of source material were also included; plus a series of angel and cat drawings by Warhol’s mother, Julia Warhola.

In association with this exhibition, the Film Institute of Ireland presented an Andy Warhol Film Season at the Irish Film Centre.