Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki - Pop to Present: American Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Pop to Present brings together 52 works reflecting eight decades of artistic experimentation and cultural transformation in the United States.
Placing iconic names such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Andy Warhol in conversation with artists from diverse backgrounds, the exhibition offers a broad and inclusive overview of recent American art. Showcased in Pop to Present are abstract paintings, vibrant Pop canvases and hyper-detailed photorealist compositions along with Minimalist sculptures, richly textured pieces inspired by craft and domestic traditions, and contemporary figurative works that explore timely questions of identity, power and representation.
Artists include Benny Andrews, Thornton Dial, Roslyn Drexler, Elaine de Kooning, Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Gilliam, Philip Guston, Barkley L. Hendricks, Norman Lewis, Virgil Ortiz, Howardena Pindell, Jackson Pollock, Martin Puryear, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Mark Rothko, Kiki Smith, Clyfford Still, and Andy Warhol.
| Audio Described Tour of Pop to Present: Sun 1 Mar, 10.30am-12.00pm, Ticketed A bespoke experience for Blind and Low Vision visitors, Join volunteer guide, Suzanne, and Nicola Owen from Audio Described Aotearoa for a tour of Pop to Present: American Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Limited to 13 tickets. |
| Beyond the Frame - Tour of Pop to Present: Sun 15 Mar, 2.00-3.00pm, Ticketed Join writer Elizabeth Freeman for an intimate guided tour of the exhibition. This tour builds on conversations sparked during Beyond the Frame: Black Abstraction and the Politics of Joy, an event presented as part of the Aotearoa Festival of Black Arts (AFoBA) by Black Creatives Aotearoa at the Gallery in November 2025. Bringing a distinctive critical and cultural lens, Elizabeth invites audiences into a deeper reading of an exhibition that spans eight decades of American art. Elizabeth explores how artists across generations have challenged dominant narratives, expanded visual languages and articulated Black experiences within American culture. Drawing on her collaborative work with Black Creatives Aotearoa, she will highlight themes of abstraction, identity and joy that resonate throughout the exhibition. |
