Warhol’s Bardot

It could be a rule of thumb that if a renowned French philosopher selects you as the subject of study, you’ve truly made it big. Granted, original “sex kitten” Brigitte Bardot had already garnered much success when Simone de Beauvoir composed her essay “Brigitte Bardot and the Lolita Syndrome” in 1959, but it’s still safe to say her recognition by said philosopher renders her role in pop culture and much greater than that of just a film star.

Regarded as an “icon of feminine sensuality,” Bardot gained instant stardom for her risqué role in And God Created Woman (1956), Roger Vadim’s directional — and record-breaking — debut. While the film broke records, Bardot broke down boundaries for women, as Beauvoir deemed her a “locomotive of women’s history,” and further declared her “the most liberated woman of post-war France.”

It’s no wonder why famed mixed media artist and Pop Art movement maven Andy Warhol took notice, and decided in 1973 — the same year Bardot retired from making films — to create her portrait.

A series of Warhol’s portraits — based on Richard Avendon’s iconic photo taken in 1959 — are now on display at London’s Gagosian Gallery, the exhibit titled, “Warhol: Bardot”. Gasgosian believes Warhol’s portraits capture “her smoldering gaze, flowing blonde hair and inimitable pout epitomizing the free-spirited energy and sexual allure that defined a new era.” The exhibition, which runs until Nov.12, is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue, including essays written by writer — and Warhol collaborator — Glen O’Brien and Olivier Zahm, editor of Purple Magazine.

For more information, visit gagosian.com

— Melissa Silva


Photos: © 2011 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/ ARS, NY. Photo by Mike Bruce. Courtesy Gagosian Gallery