Andy Warhol - Masterpiece Curations

“Everything has its beautify, but not everyone sees it.” ~Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol (pronunciation) was one of the most famous and influential artists of the 20th century. He is known for his Pop Art, which combined images from popular culture with traditional fine art techniques.

Andy Warhol Early Life

Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 6, 1928, and grew up in a working-class neighborhood. His parents were immigrants from Czechoslovakia (pronunciation). Warhol showed an early interest in art and began taking classes at the Carnegie Institute of Technology when he was sixteen years old.

Start of Andy Warhol’s Career

After graduating from college, Warhol moved to New York City, where he quickly became a successful commercial artist. His early work included designing advertising campaigns and magazine covers. He also did some work as a fashion illustrator. But his first big break came when he was commissioned to design a series of album covers for Columbia Records.

In the early 1960s, Warhol began experimenting with Pop Art, using everyday objects and celebrities in his paintings. And he soon became one of the most famous artists in the world.

His eccentric style also helped to make him famous — or at least memorable. Andy was bald in his 20s but chose to wear wigs (he had over 40 in his collection). The early wigs were quite conservative, but the older he got, the wilder, the more platinum they became. He used strong glue and lots of product because he was so fearful of the idea his wig might fly off.

Campbell’s Soup Can Series

One of his most famous bodies of work is Campbell’s Soup Can series, which consists of 32 silk screen canvases, each one painted to look like a can of soup. The Marilyn Monroe portraits were a series of paintings that Warhol created after the actress’ death in 1962. These paintings helped to solidify Warhol’s reputation as a leading pop artist.

In 1968, Warhol survived an attempted assassination. He was shot by Valerie Solanas, a radical feminist who believed that Warhol was exploiting women.

After the attack, he said,

“Before I was shot, I always thought that I was more half-there than all-there—I always suspected that I was watching TV instead of living life. People sometimes say that the way things happen in movies is unreal, but actually, it’s the way things happen in life that’s unreal. The movies make emotions look so strong and real, whereas when things really do happen to you, it’s like watching television—you don’t feel anything. Right when I was being shot and ever since I knew that I was watching television. The channels switch, but it’s all television.”

In the 1970s, Warhol’s work became more personal and reflective. He began painting self-portraits and portraits of his friends.

Andy Warhol Death

Andy Warhol died on February 22, 1987, at the age of 58 from complications of gallbladder surgery. He remains one of the most iconic artists of all time. Although he’s famous for Campbell’s Soup paintings, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, his greatest work of art was himself.