Visual Art Analysis: Campbell's Soup Cans
Visual Art Analysis
Michele Padilla
Arts 230/CA
Monday, October 26.2014
Milinda Jaffe-Bork
Visual Art Analysis
I live in Stockton, California and I recently visited our local museum. My attention was drawn to the gallery of Andy Warhol. The bright red color of the label had caught my attention of his collection of the “Campbell’s Soup Cans”. Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was defined as the prince of pop art. Andy Warhol gained his popularity in the visual arts with artistic expression, celebrity culture and advertisement. He was famous for his opinions and controversy. He produced many paintings and creations and became a phenomenon in the art world. In the 1960’s his success came from American products. Andy …show more content…
Warhol made a collection of thirty two Campbell soup cans that started a sense national craze in the art world.
With the use of silkscreen Andy Warhol introduced the “Campbell’s’ Tomato Soup Can,” making an original example of landscape transformation. The use of silkscreen changed the way the piece of artwork was represented, allowing the creation of similar patterns multiple times. Warhol created several images of the soup can, however, the “Tomato” was his favorite. He was quoted as saying that “he drank it every day for lunch.” In addition, this flavor was also the reason being it was the number one seller in American households.
The tin can became an image of artwork with curved lines and visual attributes and graphics. He used his own style to enhance the piece and strengthen it.
Andy Warhol had an aesthetic eye and was able to capture the spirit of his time.
The basic look remained the same with the red and white can. At times he exaggerated key features with repetition, but the soup can always exampled a strong and identifying brand name. The duplication aesthetic gave the collection uniformity and quantity, allowing Warhol to duplicate an image a thousand times was the representation of mass production during that time in America. The soup can paintings seemed to have no meaning or representation, however, the expression was of the mass production that was going on in America. The collection became an instant sensation, however, the images can lack variation and at times seem very large for the canvas space. The cans seem to be always perfectly spaced with the real life appearances of the lids, tops, and bottoms and rounded edges. Unfortunately, at times all looking the same as would the “spirit of the time”, mass production. A viewer, like mass production, “may feel mass-produces lacks creativity and soup cans can become cookie-cutter ideas that do not allow individual difference.” However, if closely looked at there are small variations. Size, color of letters, and style of letters. One example is the change of a font on a name of a soup. The formal design of the soup can was basic. The label was familiar and recognizable leaving the viewer with information through a visual experience. Warhol was able to convey his message with this simplistic image that he never changed the collection. Warhol took a subject with very minimal or close to no technical properties and gave meaning to the pop art world.
Warhol took the time period and focused on the culture and its values. He was looking at mass productions, factories and the society as being industrial. He took a commonly used household food and turned it into art. So it may have not been necessary to find ways on how the technical design may be used but how the meaning of the art
is conveyed and interpreted.
In 1962 this made a major impact in the art world. My opinion is that it would not have the same today. This type of art work could be viewed as advertisement, however, whom am I to say that advertisement cannot involve art work? This is where opinion, meaning and interpretations come into the value of art. As I originally stated, the bright red label is what caught my initial attention to view the collection. Upon viewing I did not know the value and meaning that Warhol was trying to portray. As I think back and look into the society during that time, I see his vision. I enjoyed viewing the collection then and even more now knowing the history of its creation.
Michele Padilla
Arts 230/CA
Monday, October 26.2014
Milinda Jaffe-Bork
Visual Art Analysis
I live in Stockton, California and I recently visited our local museum. My attention was drawn to the gallery of Andy Warhol. The bright red color of the label had caught my attention of his collection of the “Campbell’s Soup Cans”. Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was defined as the prince of pop art. Andy Warhol gained his popularity in the visual arts with artistic expression, celebrity culture and advertisement. He was famous for his opinions and controversy. He produced many paintings and creations and became a phenomenon in the art world. In the 1960’s his success came from American products. Andy …show more content…
Warhol made a collection of thirty two Campbell soup cans that started a sense national craze in the art world.
With the use of silkscreen Andy Warhol introduced the “Campbell’s’ Tomato Soup Can,” making an original example of landscape transformation. The use of silkscreen changed the way the piece of artwork was represented, allowing the creation of similar patterns multiple times. Warhol created several images of the soup can, however, the “Tomato” was his favorite. He was quoted as saying that “he drank it every day for lunch.” In addition, this flavor was also the reason being it was the number one seller in American households.
The tin can became an image of artwork with curved lines and visual attributes and graphics. He used his own style to enhance the piece and strengthen it.
Andy Warhol had an aesthetic eye and was able to capture the spirit of his time.
The basic look remained the same with the red and white can. At times he exaggerated key features with repetition, but the soup can always exampled a strong and identifying brand name. The duplication aesthetic gave the collection uniformity and quantity, allowing Warhol to duplicate an image a thousand times was the representation of mass production during that time in America. The soup can paintings seemed to have no meaning or representation, however, the expression was of the mass production that was going on in America. The collection became an instant sensation, however, the images can lack variation and at times seem very large for the canvas space. The cans seem to be always perfectly spaced with the real life appearances of the lids, tops, and bottoms and rounded edges. Unfortunately, at times all looking the same as would the “spirit of the time”, mass production. A viewer, like mass production, “may feel mass-produces lacks creativity and soup cans can become cookie-cutter ideas that do not allow individual difference.” However, if closely looked at there are small variations. Size, color of letters, and style of letters. One example is the change of a font on a name of a soup. The formal design of the soup can was basic. The label was familiar and recognizable leaving the viewer with information through a visual experience. Warhol was able to convey his message with this simplistic image that he never changed the collection. Warhol took a subject with very minimal or close to no technical properties and gave meaning to the pop art world.
Warhol took the time period and focused on the culture and its values. He was looking at mass productions, factories and the society as being industrial. He took a commonly used household food and turned it into art. So it may have not been necessary to find ways on how the technical design may be used but how the meaning of the art
is conveyed and interpreted.
In 1962 this made a major impact in the art world. My opinion is that it would not have the same today. This type of art work could be viewed as advertisement, however, whom am I to say that advertisement cannot involve art work? This is where opinion, meaning and interpretations come into the value of art. As I originally stated, the bright red label is what caught my initial attention to view the collection. Upon viewing I did not know the value and meaning that Warhol was trying to portray. As I think back and look into the society during that time, I see his vision. I enjoyed viewing the collection then and even more now knowing the history of its creation.