Andy Warhol

Who Was Andy Warhol?

Andy Warhol was an influential American artist and a central figure in the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. Initially gaining recognition as a successful magazine and advertising illustrator, Warhol expanded his creative endeavors into diverse mediums, including performance art, filmmaking, video installations, and writing. Known for his bold exploration of consumer culture and his ability to blur the lines between fine art and popular aesthetics, Warhol became one of the most iconic and controversial artists of his time. His works challenged traditional notions of art, often incorporating imagery from advertising, celebrities, and everyday objects. Warhol passed away on February 22, 1987, in New York City, leaving a lasting impact on the art world.

Early Life

Andy Warhol, born Andrew Warhola on August 6, 1928, in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the son of Slovakian immigrants. His father, Andrej Warhola, worked as a construction laborer, while his mother, Julia Warhola, was an embroiderer. The Warhol family were devout Byzantine Catholics who regularly attended mass and preserved their Slovakian culture and heritage within the Eastern European ethnic enclaves of Pittsburgh.

At the age of eight, Warhol contracted chorea, also known as St. Vitus’s Dance, a rare and sometimes severe nervous system disorder that left him bedridden for several months. During his illness, Warhol’s mother, an accomplished artist herself, introduced him to drawing, which quickly became his favorite pastime. He also developed a keen interest in movies and photography, the latter of which he began pursuing at the age of nine after his mother bought him a camera. Warhol set up a makeshift darkroom in the basement, where he developed his own film.

Warhol attended Holmes Elementary School and took advantage of free art classes at the Carnegie Institute (now the Carnegie Museum of Art) in Pittsburgh. In 1942, when Warhol was 14 years old, his father passed away from a jaundiced liver, a tragedy that deeply affected him; Warhol was so distraught that he could not bring himself to attend the funeral, hiding under his bed during the wake. Acknowledging his son’s artistic talent, Warhol’s father left his life savings in his will to fund Warhol’s college education.

In 1945, after graduating from Schenley High School, Warhol enrolled at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), where he studied pictorial design, setting the foundation for his future career as an artist.

Pop Art

After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1949, Andy Warhol moved to New York City to embark on a career as a commercial artist. During this time, he made the decision to simplify his last name by dropping the “a,” becoming widely known as Andy Warhol. His career quickly took off when he secured a job with Glamour magazine in September of the same year. Throughout the 1950s, Warhol established himself as one of the most successful commercial artists, recognized for his distinctive and whimsical style. He frequently received awards for his innovative work, which featured his signature blotted line technique and the creative use of rubber stamps in his drawings.

Campbell’s Soup Cans: A Pop Art Milestone

In the late 1950s, Andy Warhol shifted his focus more intently towards painting, culminating in the debut of his “pop art” concept in 1961. This innovative approach emphasized the portrayal of mass-produced commercial goods. The following year, Warhol’s exhibit of Campbell’s Soup Cans marked a seminal moment in the art world. These works, featuring everyday consumer products rendered on small canvases, generated significant buzz and propelled both Warhol and the pop art movement into the national limelight.

British artist Richard Hamilton characterized pop art as “popular, transient, expendable, low cost, mass-produced, young, witty, sexy, gimmicky, glamorous, big business.” Warhol himself articulated the transformative impact of pop art, stating, “Once you ‘got’ pop, you could never see a sign the same way again. And once you thought pop, you could never see America the same way again.”

In addition to the Campbell’s Soup Cans series, Warhol’s portfolio of notable pop paintings also includes depictions of Coca-Cola bottles, vacuum cleaners, and hamburgers.

Portraits

Andy Warhol, renowned for his distinctive style, created vivid and striking portraits of celebrities, employing bold and often garish colors. Among his most celebrated works are the portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger, and Mao Tse-tung. As these iconic portraits garnered widespread acclaim, Warhol began receiving numerous commissions from socialites and celebrities. Notably, his portrait “Eight Elvises” was sold for $100 million in 2008, securing its place as one of the most valuable paintings in history.

The Factory

In 1964, Andy Warhol established his renowned art studio, “The Factory,” a large, silver-painted warehouse that quickly became a prominent cultural hotspot in New York City. The Factory was not only a creative haven but also a vibrant social scene, attracting the city’s elite, celebrities, and influential figures. Among its notable patrons was musician Lou Reed, who celebrated the eclectic personalities of The Factory’s denizens in his iconic song, “Walk on the Wild Side.” The lyrics pay homage to key figures from the studio, including Holly Woodlawn, Candy Darling, “Little Joe” Dallesandro, “Sugar Plum Fairy” Joe Campbell, and Jackie Curtis. Warhol, who was a close friend of Reed and managed his band, the Velvet Underground, was instrumental in shaping the studio’s legendary status.

Warhol’s fascination with celebrity culture and his own role within it led him to frequent notorious New York City nightclubs such as Studio 54 and Max’s Kansas City. Reflecting on the public’s obsession with stars, Warhol famously remarked, “more than anything people just want stars.” His pursuit of innovation extended beyond art as he ventured into publishing with his first book, Andy Warhol’s Index, released in 1967.

However, Warhol’s flourishing career faced a severe setback in 1968 when he was shot by Valerie Solanas, an aspiring writer and radical feminist. The attack occurred on June 3 and left Warhol with serious injuries. Solanas, who had appeared in one of Warhol’s films, was reportedly aggrieved by his refusal to use a script she had written. Following the shooting, Solanas was apprehended and later pleaded guilty to the crime. Warhol spent several weeks in a New York hospital, underwent multiple surgeries, and endured a long recovery. The attack’s aftermath necessitated Warhol wearing a surgical corset for the remainder of his life.

Warhol Books and Films

In the 1970s, Andy Warhol expanded his artistic repertoire to include various media beyond his iconic visual art. He authored influential books such as The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again) and Exposures, reflecting his unique perspectives on life and art. Warhol’s engagement with video art was equally prolific; he created over 60 films throughout his career. Notable works include Sleep, a film featuring poet John Giorno in a six-hour slumber, and Eat, which presents a man consuming a mushroom over a 45-minute duration.

In addition to his endeavors in literature and film, Warhol explored sculpture and photography. The 1980s saw him delve into television, where he hosted Andy Warhol’s TV and Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes on MTV, further cementing his influence across various forms of media.

Death

In the later years of his life, Andy Warhol experienced ongoing complications related to his gallbladder. On February 20, 1987, he was admitted to New York Hospital for a cholecystectomy, a procedure to remove his gallbladder. The surgery was initially successful, and Warhol appeared to be on the path to recovery. However, he encountered unforeseen complications that led to a sudden cardiac arrest. Warhol passed away on February 22, 1987, at the age of 58. His death was marked by a significant outpouring of public grief, with thousands attending a memorial service held in his honor at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

Legacy

Andy Warhol’s enigmatic personal life has long been a subject of intrigue and speculation. Widely believed to have been a gay man, Warhol’s art frequently incorporated homoerotic imagery and themes. Despite this, he professed to have remained a virgin throughout his life.

Warhol’s oeuvre uniquely straddles the line between satire and celebration of materialism and celebrity. His artworks, featuring distorted brand logos and iconic celebrity faces, can be interpreted as critiques of a culture fixated on wealth and fame. Conversely, Warhol’s own fascination with consumer goods, pop culture, and his pursuit of money and notoriety reflect a deep engagement with the very elements of American culture he ostensibly critiqued. This paradox is articulated in his book The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, where he asserts, “making money is art and working is art, and good business is the best art.” Through this lens, Warhol’s life and work embody a complex interplay between critique and endorsement of the cultural forces that shaped his era.