"I am a deeply superficial person." -Andy Warhol

The forecast was for rain all day today, so my roommate, Alayna, and my friend, Katie, and I headed to the recently opened Andy Warhol exhibit I've been dying to go to! Katie and I left a little early so I could take pictures to use as drawing references [even though I know I should draw from life...] and grabbed coffee. I introduced her to the amazing taste of a granita di caffe con panna [frozen espresso with cream]. Tazza d'Oro is just off Piazza della Rotonda near the Pantheon and is famous for the treat! We went the other day during my Art of Rome class on our way to studying the Pantheon.

We met up with Alayna on Via del Corso at the exhibit. I can't post pictures as they are not allowed, but it was honestly amazing. I love Pop Art and Andy Warhol so I was in heaven. We got a "free" audio guide with the 12 euro ticket. It was cool since they guide on it was a friend of Warhol's. The exhibit was so well set up and took you through the life and works of the artist. I really love his early works with simple lines, bright colors, and his mother's loopy handwriting.

The audio guide was sweet to have. I learned some cool facts and history:

• Warhol's father was born in Slovenia with the last name Warhola.
• Andy Warhol started out working in advertising and creating window displays.
• His mother often wrote on his paintings for him and sometimes even signed them.
• Marilyn Monroe's screen prints have a white dot on the forehead because a friend visiting his studio literally shot them. Warhol had thought she was going to take a picture.
• He loved to take Polaroids of people. It was the ultimate symbol of the rapid-paced, instantaneous, mass-produced idea of American culture.
• Warhol thought he was ugly and that's why he was an artist.
• He painted what he liked. Thus, we got Campbell's soup cans.

There's a lot more, but that's all I can think of for now. I wish everyone could have a chance to go to the exhibit. It was so great! And such a nice change of pace from the ancient Roman museums I'm used to ;)