Andy Warhol - Essay
Andy Warhol
I’ve chosen to write my paper on the 20th century artist Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol was born as Andrew Warhola on August 6th, 1928 in Pittsburg, PA. He is known as a lead figure in pop art for his visually striking prints and paintings. He was also known on the side for filmmaking, author, and for the people he associated with including celebrities, intellectuals and wealthy people. Andy Warhol is well known in the artist community, one of his paintings being sold for up to $100 million. Andy studied commercial art at the School of Fine Arts at Carnegie Institute of Technology in PA. He moved to NYC in 1949 and began advertising and illustrating. He began with loose, blotted-ink style and was then hired by a record company to design album covers and promo material. He then began using the silk screen printmaking process in a lot of his paintings. Several of his advertising images had a characteristic image; they resulted in a cartoonish sort of painting. His art work was filled with imperfections from smudges to smears but it was tolerated for he believed that “…when you do something exactly wrong, you always turn up something.” In the 1950’s he began exhibiting his art in New York and held his first art exhibition in Los Angeles, CA. It was during the 1960’s that Andy Warhol began making portraits of iconic celebrities including Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Muhammad Ali just to name a few. He used the silkscreen method for these portraits and his work became very popular. Included in his exhibits were his portraits of dollar bills, political madness, mushroom clouds, electric chairs, and brand name products; an example being a portrait of a Campbell’s tomato soup can which he is well known for. A portrait of one of these cans sold for up to $1,500 while an autographed can sold for $6. In 1968, Valerie Solanas attempted to murder Andy Warhol. She had shot him because she Andy wouldn’t return a script she had given him after
I’ve chosen to write my paper on the 20th century artist Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol was born as Andrew Warhola on August 6th, 1928 in Pittsburg, PA. He is known as a lead figure in pop art for his visually striking prints and paintings. He was also known on the side for filmmaking, author, and for the people he associated with including celebrities, intellectuals and wealthy people. Andy Warhol is well known in the artist community, one of his paintings being sold for up to $100 million. Andy studied commercial art at the School of Fine Arts at Carnegie Institute of Technology in PA. He moved to NYC in 1949 and began advertising and illustrating. He began with loose, blotted-ink style and was then hired by a record company to design album covers and promo material. He then began using the silk screen printmaking process in a lot of his paintings. Several of his advertising images had a characteristic image; they resulted in a cartoonish sort of painting. His art work was filled with imperfections from smudges to smears but it was tolerated for he believed that “…when you do something exactly wrong, you always turn up something.” In the 1950’s he began exhibiting his art in New York and held his first art exhibition in Los Angeles, CA. It was during the 1960’s that Andy Warhol began making portraits of iconic celebrities including Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Muhammad Ali just to name a few. He used the silkscreen method for these portraits and his work became very popular. Included in his exhibits were his portraits of dollar bills, political madness, mushroom clouds, electric chairs, and brand name products; an example being a portrait of a Campbell’s tomato soup can which he is well known for. A portrait of one of these cans sold for up to $1,500 while an autographed can sold for $6. In 1968, Valerie Solanas attempted to murder Andy Warhol. She had shot him because she Andy wouldn’t return a script she had given him after
References: “Andy Warhol.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia “Andy Warhol and the Pop Art Movement: A Biography.” www.princeofpop.com/bio.html “The Warhol.” www.warhol.org/collection/aboutandy/ 2011