Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali, 1977, Silkscreen and Polymer Paint on Canvas, 40 x 40, Collection of Richard Weisman. All rights reserved. ARS and Muhammad Ali Society. Courtesy of Cranbrook Art Museum

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI.- Andy Warhol, arguable the most important artist of the second half of the twentieth century, captivated the world with his irreverent perspective on modern life and celebrity. Cranbrook Art Museum presents an unmatched exhibition of more than 200 signature examples of the artist's work, highlighting Warhol's practice in four artistic media - painting, photography, print and film - and spanning the breadth of the artist's career from the 1960's through the 1980's.

Paintings: The highlight and centerpiece of Andy Warhol: Grand Slam are the ten paintings that comprise The Athletes Series. On request from Richard Weisman, an important collector of modern and contemporary art and longtime friend of the artist, Warhol created editioned painting of the greatest sports figures of the late 1970s: Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus, Chris Evert, Rod Gilbert, Tom Seaver, O.J. Simpson, Dorothy Hamill, Pele, Willie Shoemaker, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In 2001, Cranbrook Art Museum received the Dr. John and Rose M. Shuey Collection, which includes one painting from The Athletes Series: an image of the Brazilian soccer star Pele. This presentation of The Athletes Series unites Cranbook's painting with Weisman's complete collection of portraits.

Photographs: Andy Warhol: Grand Slam celebrates the recent gift of over 150 photographs previously held by the Andy Warhol Foundation to Cranbrook Art Museum. These images, many of which were taken using a Polaroid camera, showcase Warhol's use of photography as a compositional aid for the creation of prints and paintings.

Prints: Andy Warhol: Grand Slam demonstrates the richness of Warhol's famous screen printed works in regional collections. Cranbrook Art Museum will feature four important print series by Warhol. The artist's iconic Electric Chair (1965) and Campbell's Soup I (1968) series will be joined by some of his finest later works: Ten Jews of the Twentieth Century (1980) and Endangered Species (1983).

Films: The final component of Andy Warhol: Grand Slam focuses on Warhol's extraordinary career as a maker of art and narrative films. For the duration of the exhibition, Cranbrook Art Museum will present a veritable Warhol film festival, showcasing a new film by the artist most every week.