Queens Museum Reconstructs Andy Warhol's Censored 1964 World's Fair Mug Shot Installation
From April 27 to September 7, 2014, the Queens Museum showcased an exhibition that reconstructed Andy Warhol's censored piece for the 1964 World's Fair. Warhol, invited by architect Philip Johnson, produced '13 Most Wanted Men,' a 20-by-20-foot grid featuring silkscreened mug shots sourced from a police bulletin. Displayed at the Circarama building, it encountered significant public criticism and was covered up within 48 hours following pressure from Governor Nelson Rockefeller. This exhibition, in collaboration with The Warhol Museum, presented various artworks and examined the socio-political backdrop, including homoerotic themes. The 1964 World's Fair, coordinated by Robert Moses, was a financial gamble that combined corporate futurism with national pride. Johnson later acknowledged that the censorship was politically driven.
Key facts
- Andy Warhol created '13 Most Wanted Men' for the 1964 World's Fair New York State Pavilion
- The work was a 20-by-20-foot grid of silkscreened mug shots from a police bulletin
- It was installed on the oval Circarama building at Flushing Meadows Corona Park
- Public objection led to the work being painted over with silver paint within 48 hours
- Governor Nelson Rockefeller pressured for censorship to avoid alienating Italian-American voters
- Architect Philip Johnson had invited Warhol for the commission
- The Queens Museum exhibition ran from April 27 to September 7, 2014
- The show included archival material on police raids and civil rights protests
Entities
Artists
- Andy Warhol
- Philip Johnson
- Jack Smith
Institutions
- Queens Museum
- The Warhol Museum
- New York State Pavilion
- Congress for Racial Equality
- Texaco
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- Queens
- Flushing Meadows Corona Park