In this conceptual approach to making art, Warhol inherited the legacy of Marcel Duchamp, an artist he knew, admired, painted, and filmed. Like Duchamp's ready-mades, the ultimate importance of a work by Warhol is not who physically made each object, but the ideas it generates. As the son of immigrants, Warhol in his early works returned again and again to the theme of America itself. What else are the paintings of cheap advertisements for nose jobs and dance lessons concerned with if not the American dream and the price of conformity it exacts? As soon as he'd examined the American obsession with celebrity and glamour in the portraits of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, he was quick to show its race riots and electric chair. Unlike Duchamp's, his was a highly public art, one that criss-crossed between high art, popular culture, commerce, and daily life.
Everything that passed before Warhol's basilisk gaze—celebrities, socialites, speed freaks, rock bands, film, and fashion—he imprinted with his deadpan mixture of glamour and humor, then cast them back into the world as narcissistic reflections of his own personality. This is what makes him one of the most complex and elusive figures in the history of art.
By Richard Dorment | The New York Review of Books
The return is particularly significant as it marks the first time that an American collecting institution has independently initiated the return of a secret/ sacred object to Australia.
Secret/sacred objects of the type being returned are typically used in religious ceremonies by central Australian Aboriginal men. They are considered to be physical manifestations of sacred ancestral beings and as such have great spiritual power.
The National Museum of Australia has been providing advice and assistance to the Seattle Art Museum and will store the object temporarily while consultations proceed regarding its final repatriation.
“The National Museum of Australia is honoured to have been able to assist in this way. The Seattle Art Museum has shown great responsibility, as well as compassion and respect for Aboriginal culture, in deciding to repatriate this object. It is to be commended for its initiative and leadership,” said Craddock Morton, Director of the National Museum of Australia.
According to custom, central Australian mens’ secret/sacred objects are not allowed to be viewed by uninitiated men, or women and children. Their public display is a cause of great distress to Aboriginal elders, who have been seeking their return for many years.
"We appreciate The National Museum of Australia's guidance through this return process," said Maryann Jordan, Seattle Art Museum's Interim Director. "The Seattle Art Museum is one of the few places in the U.S. for Australian Aboriginal art to be seen and discussed. We have a deep respect for Aboriginal heritage and understand the importance of this object to the culture that created it. We are proud to return it to its rightful home."
The Director of the National Museum of Australia’s Repatriation Program, Dr Michael Pickering, said that the object will be housed in a restricted store while the Museum consults with central Australian Elders and their representatives to determine the culturally appropriate management and return of the object.
The object was first collected in 1970, and has been in the Seattle Art Museum’s collections since 1971 but has never been publicly exhibited
"Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough", released in July 1979, is the debut single from Michael Jackson's Off the Wall album. Written by Jackson, the track was the first solo recording over which he had creative control, and his debut single released under Epic Records.
Jackson's first single to top the U.S. charts in seven years, the song was certified gold within a few months of release. The musical piece also won Jackson his first solo Grammy and American Music Awards. Garnering critical acclaim for its composition, the track is considered the first song to showcase Jackson's talents, both as a singer and songwriter
"Rock with You" was released on November 3, 1979, as the second single from Michael Jackson's fifth solo LP and breakthrough album,Off the Wall. Written by Heatwave group member and songwriter Rod Temperton, the song helped Jackson score one of the first Billboardnumber-one singles in the 1980s, as well as one of the last big hits of the disco era. It reached number one on both the pop and R&Bsingles chart and became one of Jackson's most-loved songs. A video for the song shows a smiling Jackson dancing in a sequined suit against a background laser.
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