I almost can’t believe that I’ve never been to the British Museum before. Not sure how I’ve managed to miss that. I suppose I had always assumed it only houses really old stuff, which of course it does, but when I saw that was an exhibition being staged that is dedicated to American pop artists from the past 60 years, I booked tickets.
The thing that first catches your eye when you arrive through the main entrance isn’t a collection or exhibition at all; it’s the vast Norman Foster designed Great Court. A two-acre light and airy enclosed space, with the reading room at the centre and a selection of eateries and shops, making it the largest covered public square in Europe.
The impressive ceiling is the only thing I was allowed to take a photo of, as there were no cameras allowed in the actual exhibition.
‘The American Dream – pop to the present’ is as much about the skill and nature of the medium of printmaking as it is about the pieces on show. All of the greats of printed American pop art are represented in this collection – Warhol, Johns, Rauschenberg, Rusha, Litchenstein and more. As you move through the pieces you follow the story of modern-day America, told through a series of, in some cases, quite stunning artworks.
It’s a superbly large collection, with 12 rooms of exhibits. The journey kicks off with a heavy hitter straight away; two separate Warhols set against a blood red wall. From the moment you enter, there is not one room that doesn’t contain something outstanding, and there is way too much to mention (or for me to do justice to). The warm orange ‘Made in California’ section is a favourite of mine and the Edward Ruscha ‘Standard Station’ print which has been used on much of the marketing materials for the exhibition is breathtaking in its simplicity and graphic brilliance.
This exhibition is being staged at a time where it feels like the ideals of the American Dream are under closer scrutiny than ever before, where the dream seems to be fading, if not dying. In that way this collection is even more interesting and relevant. I can’t recommend it enough.
It’s so good I might go and see it again.
The American Dream – pop to the present, on until 18 June 2017.