Currently installed at the Loyola University Museum of Art, “Silver Clouds” is a playful, spontaneous work by Andy Warhol, who claimed the work was his attempt to make a painting that floats. In 1966, Warhol conceived of this installation of helium-filled silver balloons to fill a room of Leo Castelli gallery in New York. The playful installation later became a set in a new dance, “RainForest,” by choreographer Merce Cunningham. The installation is accompanied by an exhibition of photography by Nat Finkelstein, a photojournalist who documented activity in and around Warhol’s Factory between 1964 and 1967, including the “Silver Clouds” installation at Castelli gallery. Additionally, a large projection of Cunningham’s “RainForest” accompanies the exhibition, and five local dance companies will create performances inspired by the piece. The collective presentation of these elements provides a multifaceted and unique glimpse into life in the Factory. (Kristin Brockman)
Andy Warhol, “Silver Clouds,” shows at Loyola University Museum of Art, 820 North Michigan, (312)915-7600, through April 27.
