Andy Warhol, The Scream (After Munch), 1984 © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Photo Sparebankstiftelsen DNB

Andy Warhol first became properly interested in Edvard Munch on a visit to Oslo in 1971, where he spent time at the National Gallery and the Munch Museum. He was said to be a great admirer of Munch’s prints, far more so, in fact, than of his paintings. The Norwegian master was not only a prolific printmaker, but also technologically innovative; he enjoyed experimenting with textures and colours, which naturally resonated with Warhol as a leading figure in the Pop Art movement.

Madonna and Self-Portrait with Skeleton Arm (After Munch), Andy Warhol, 1984. © Haugar Vestfold Kunstmuseum

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Between 1938 and 1984, Warhol produced a series of 15 prints, known as After Munch,  featuring some of Munch’s most renowned motifs. Like most of Warhol’s best-known works, these prints transform the meaning of the original image to lend a new and intriguing perspective.

Eva Mudocci (After Munch), Andy Warhol, 1984. © Haugar Vestfold Kunstmuseum

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The most striking example of this – and the stand out piece on display in the Munch Museum – is Warhol’s interpretation of the The Scream. One of the most iconic artworks of the 20th century, if not of all time, Warhol’s reproduction of the The Scream using different colour variations and stencils gives the work a completely different mood, thus encouraging the viewer to more deeply consider the artistic process.

‘Andy Warhol – After Munch’ runs until the 26th August at the Munch Museum, Oslo. For opening times visit: munchmuseet.no/en/exhibitions/andy-warhol-after-munch

Millie Walton

Dead End, 2015 by Mouna Rebeiz

Mouna Rebeiz in the studio

French-Lebanese artist Mouna Rebeiz lives and works in London and is debuting her second solo show in the capital at the Saatchi Gallery, The Trash-ic or Trash in the Face of Beauty. Showcasing 17 works of mixed media – including digital and musical installations – the exhibition explores the expression of natural tensions between beauty and its counterpart, the grotesque and ugly, in art and society today. She tells LUX why she supports the charity Innocence in Danger and how internationally renowned designers and artists came to create their own unique ceramic piggy-banks to auction at Sotheby’s in aid of the charity.

1. In your view, what’s the role of the artist in contemporary society?

In any society at any time, the role of an artist is that of a mediator between what the world would have one see and reality itself; they make you see things. Like oracles or “la pythie” they are translators — between gods/nature and humans.

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2. Do you think our perception of beauty has changed as a result of social media?

No. Art has made us change our perception of beauty, because art is a translation of our era. It’s art that makes us see beauty in a different way. That’s why we see trash in beauty; because we are in a period of time where trash is glorified.

L’insoutenable légèreté de l’Etre by Mouna Rebeiz

3. How would you define ‘trash’?

Trash is something you don’t want to live with, something you reject, something you want to discard. That’s trash. Could you live with a trashcan that smells? No. It’s not meant to be lived with. Ugliness is not necessarily trash; hideous things can be beautiful.

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4. How do you think your fine art training has informed your contemporary practise?

You can write an essay without knowing the alphabet. You cannot build a building without a foundation.

Mouna Rebeiz with the piggy-banks designed by the likes of Buccellati, Christian Lacroix, Emilio Pucci, Esther Freud, Etro, Giles Deacon and Swarovski

5. How did you select the artists and designers to create piggy-banks for the online auction, and why the Innocence in Danger charity?

I was lucky enough the designers chose to work with us. As for IID, I’ve been supporting them for 15 years because I believe its the hardest thing to deal with, children who are abused. And I don’t think humanity, the “civilised world” is as civilised as it proclaims to be. I think we are barbarians.

6. What’s next for you?

Big things are on the horizon — I’m going to continue in this “trashic” theme and merge beauty and trash together in a way that’s never been seen before.

‘The Trash-ic or Trash in the Face of Beauty’ runs until 7 June at The Saatchi Gallery, King’s Road, London. For more information on visiting the gallery click here.

To view the silent auction of piggy-banks visit: www.trashicauction.co.uk