The War-hole Wall: Between the Ridiculous and the Profound

This paper seeks to situate architecture betweenthe ridiculous and the profound using pop art as amedium. Andy Warhol’s “piss paintings” also knownas Oxidation paintings are the subject of study in thispaper. A recent call to design a museum dedicatedto the work of Warhol in New York envisioned themuseum as a vital forum in which diverse audiencesof artists, scholars, and the general public becomegalvanized through a ‘creative interaction’ with theart and life of Warhol. The controversial subject ofWarhol’s work presented several critical inquiriesand challenges as to what constitutes as creativepublic interaction? The author critically examinedthe relationship between pop art, architecture,and the ability to confront ridiculous realities thatengage the public in a profound yet controversialact. This paper presents the design proposal as anact of ‘structured vandalism,’ which is supported byarchitecturally yet humorous illustrations.

Volume Editors
Urs Peter Flueckiger & Victoria McReynolds

ISBN
978-1-944214-16-6