In 1969, filmmaker Lisanne Skyler’s parents bought an Andy Warhol Brillo Box for $1,000. Exact replicas of the supermarket cartoon, Warhol’s Brillo Boxes were at first dismissed by the art world. But forty years later, in 2010, at the height of the recession, the same sculpture fetched $3,000,000 at a Christie’s auction. The Oscar-nominated HBO Documentary Film Brillo Box (3¢ off) follows the surprising journey of this sculpture as it travels from the Skylers’ living room to the global art market — from the flashpoint of controversy to becoming an iconic art object — exploring how we navigate the ephemeral nature of value and value, and the decisions that shape family history.
By tracking the forty-year journey of a single Warhol sculpture across different cultural and economic landscapes, Brillo Box (3¢ off) seeks to reframe the question of what is art, who — or what — determines its worth, and why it matters to our lives. Blending a playful and irreverent reassessment of Pop Art, with a richly evocative and touching family narrative, the film sparks a vital conversation about the value of art, while paying tribute to Andy Warhol, to all artists and to two parents who chose to share art with their children.
“It’s an honor to share Brillo Box (3¢ off) with the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria community and guests, as part of the “From Warhol to Banksy” Pop Art exhibition, where one of the rare yellow ‘three cents off’ Brillo Box sculptures that inspired the film is on view.
Brillo Box (3¢ off) explores the ephemeral value of art, how art objects shape our lives and change in meaning over time. Warhol’s sculpture is such a beloved character in art history — a shapeshifter that invites us to connect in an evolving conversation about what art it is and why it matters. I’m so thrilled that the film can compliment the exhibition, and offer museum guests a chance to experience the Brillo Box through the personal story of what it meant to my family.”
– Lisanne Skyler
In addition to interviews with Martin and Rita Skyler, Brillo Box (3¢ Off) includes insights from high-profile names in the contemporary art world, including Laura Paulson (chairman, Americas at Christie’s), Jessica Todd Smith (Curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art), Irving Sandler (art critic and historian), and Eric Shiner (former director of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh).Brillo Box (3¢ OFF) was written, directed, and produced by Lisanne Skyler; editor, Jeanna French; producer, Judith Black. For HBO: supervising editor, Geof Bartz, A.C.E.; senior producer, Lisa Heller; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.
– Written by Anu Henderson, Administrator, Curatorial and Learning & Engagement
Brillo Box (3¢ OFF) is screening as a compliment to the exhibition From Warhol to Banksy, which runs until April 27, 2025. Thank you to The Cinema Guild and Lisanne Skyler for providing screening permissions.
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Feature Image: Brillo Box (3¢ off) movie poster. Courtesy of The Cinema Guild and HBO Documentary Films.
