Warhol's famed 'Marilyn' screenprint series to be shown at RPAC, RMFA exhibit

Four of Andy Warhol's famed Marilyn screenprint series will be featured. (Courtesy image)

ROCHESTER - The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts will present a special exhibition called "A Tribute to Sunday B. Morning" in the Art Gallery at the Rochester Performance & Arts Center.

The exhibition will feature 4 of Andy Warhol's iconic Marilyn screenprint series. An opening reception will be held on May 31 from 5-7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. The public is encouraged to attend.

In 1967, Andy Warhol produced what would become one of the most iconic and memorable representations of screen legend Marilyn Monroe. Warhol created a series of 10 variations in what is now referred to as the Marilyn series, each with virtually the same composition, but different color variations. These original prints are known as the "Factory Additions".

These are by far the most expensive Marilyn screenprints, which auction anywhere from $100,000 for a single print, to over $1.5 million for the suite.

After Warhol published his famous Factory Additions of Marilyn, he began collaborating with two anonymous friends from Belgium on a second series of prints.

The original idea behind this partnership, for Warhol, was to play on the concept of mass production. He was essentially mocking the idea that the Factory Addition prints were somehow more important than the second series. Warhol provided the photo negatives and color codes needed to create silkscreens exactly like the ones he had used for the Factory Additions.

In 1970, Warhol's original silkscreens were reproduced to create the second series of Marilyn screenprints. These were named "Sunday B. Morning" prints. Their dimensions are 36x36 and are printed with high quality archival inks, just like the originals.

Sunday B. Morning LLC recently donated the entire selection of Marilyn prints to the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts. The prints will be exhibited temporarily in the Art Gallery at the Rochester Performance & Arts Center. Once the exhibition concludes, the prints will be added to the museum's permanent collection.

The Art Gallery, at the Rochester Performance & Arts Center, is located at 32 North Main Street in Rochester. The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts is sponsored by the City of Rochester, Rochester Main Street, and Bernier Insurance. The exhibition is made possible in part by Riverstones Custom Framing. Visit www.rochestermfa.org/rpac for more information.