When the name Andy Warhol comes up in conversation, it usually accompanies talk of his famous Campbells soup cans, numerous Marilyn Monroe reproductions and his penchant for commercializing fine art. The Milwaukee Art Museum, with its new exhibit of his work (entitled “Andy Warhol: The Last Decade”), is attempting to change this narrow view of Warhol. Not only does the exhibit succeed in this goal, but it also goes further by looking at his life through a lens of religion and isolation, it reveals a side to Warhol that was heretofore unknown.

Approaching the Milwaukee Art Museum from the highway, drivers witness a spectacle of color – the fountains in front of the entrance are dyed a bright pink hue in honor of the exhibit. The exhibition itself also boasts the innovative design and eye for detail that are reminiscent of Warhol’s work. On every wall is artwork that shows so much of his inner thoughts and feelings, one wonders how much he kept bottled inside throughout his life.

The piece entitled “The Shadow” (1981) brings to mind the old radio series of the same name, signifying Warhol’s own feelings of isolation. The idea that “no one ever truly knows the Shadow” was the message the artist was trying to convey. Indeed, this self-portrait was complete with stark colors, unlike his usual whimsical, colorful style. According to the exhibit, Warhol stated “I’ll paint something, but I’ll paint nothing,” commenting on the focus he put on shadows towards the end of his life.

Testing out both the public’s tolerance for bad taste as well as the limits to which art could be stretched, Warhol decided to try a new technique with his series entitled “Oxidation Paintings” (1978). In these twelve pieces, Warhol would paint an entire canvas with metallic gold or silver paint, and let it dry. He then urinated on it, creating an oxidation/reduction reaction with the shiny acrylic paint. As ridiculous as the idea was, the result was a surprisingly stunning array of greenish areas amongst the sheen of the metallic background. This idea was a testament to Warhol’s innovation as an artist. He wanted to have a laugh, but was also genuinely sincere about the random nature of artistic processes.

Another striking piece was “The Last Supper” (1986), a hand-painted panorama of the usual suspects, but emblazoned with brand names, logos and other materialistic symbols. The figures themselves, usually the most prominent aspect in such a painting, were in black on a white background. In contrast, the logos and brand names were done in painstaking detail, in colors ranging from fuchsia to turquoise. The message here, despite (or perhaps due to) Warhol’s own devout Catholic upbringing, was that religion was being overtaken by power-hungry corporations, who were using it for their own materialistic means. Another take on this artistic statement was a reflection on the apparent commercialism of his earlier career – or on his own potential shortcomings as a god-fearing Catholic.

Leaving the exhibit was difficult because there was so much more to see and to understand. Warhol and his artwork are still a mystery to most, and perhaps will never be fully grasped. However, this exhibit has shed new light on his life and hopefully opened more people’s eyes to his diverse range of talents. For all those Warhol fans out there, this is one exhibit that should not be missed.

The exhibition will be at the Milwaukee Art Museum until January 3