Alexarae Vega
Andy Warhol
June 16, 2009
Michael Rodriguez
HUA289.Art&Design Seminar
In the following essay, I will discuss abstract expressionist and pop artist. I will
also discuss some artwork viewed at the Museum of Modern Art.
Abstract Expressionism is defined as “a movement in experimental,
nonrepresentational painting originating in the U.S. in the 1940s, with sources in earlier
movements, and embracing many individual styles marked in common by freedom of
technique, a preference for dramatically large canvases, and a desire to give spontaneous
expression to the unconscious.1” Several artists started experimenting with color and
shapes. Abstract art was not considered artistic because the images created were not the
traditional paintings during this period. Abstract paintings consisted of a large canvas
with many features such as: a canvas painted completely using one color, or a
combination of colors, dripping, splattering, and an array of brush-strokes. The focal
point of abstract art was not the representation of an object or figure, it is representation
of the emotion. In the 1960s, abstract art began to weaken, the art appeared aggressive
and provocative to some. Other movements began to rise, such as: minimalism and pop
art. Major artist during this time included Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.
Pop Art is defined as “a form of art that depicts objects or scenes from everyday
life and employs techniques of commercial art and popular illustration. Art that uses
1
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abstract%20expressionism
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elements of popular culture, such as magazines, movies, popular music, and even bottles
and cans,2” were considered pop art. Pop artists use an arrangement of materials. These
artists create their art in mass production using a very large canvas, silkscreen, and paint.
Major pop artist during this period included Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol and Roy
Lichtenstein.
Abstract Expressionism has differences from Pop Art. Abstract art is created
using forms and shapes whereas Pop Art involves more figurative aspects in the work.
For instances, Robert Ransom artwork entitled “Lipstick Gasoline,” this painting
illustrates people in a fanciful manner. I t exhibits a fanciful manner through the
imaginary way he depicted the forms. His work involves high demand images with
intensive colors and shapes. “Warhol’s work celebrated the sameness of mass culture that
intellectuals of the abstract expressionist generation abhorred.3” Abstract art involves
materials such as paints, drawing objects and other man made objects to create an
abstract piece. Pop art involves materials that consist of screen-printing, synthetic and
other industrial materials.
Abstract expressionism and Pop art also have similarities in the movements being
a form of express. They are both part of an artistic movement of the 20th century. These
movements have similar materials, such as large canvases and the use of paint. Both of
these movements continue to be created today through up and coming artist.
Andy Warhol “Andrew Warhola,” was born on August 6, 1928 in Forest City,
Pennsylvania. As a child he was very shy. He spent the majority of his childhood with his
2
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pop%20art%20
3
Fineberg, Jonathan. Art Since 1940 strategies of being. New York: Harry N. Abrams, inc., Publishers,
1995. Print. (p252)
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mother. Warhol was diagnosed with Syndenham’s Chorea, a disorder characterized by
fever, irregular movements and left his skin with red blotches. He spent a lot of his time
drawing, creating and collecting autographed photos of stars. The stars consisted of
Marilyn Monroe and Shirley Temple.
Once Warhola graduated from Carnegie Tech. in 1949 he moved to New York to
pursue commercial art. “He worked as an illustrator for several magazines including
Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and The New Yorker and did advertising and window displays
for retail stores such as Bonwit Teller and I. Miller.4”He enjoyed creating these
advertisements, many of which consisted of drawing shoes.
Warhol continued to do advertisements until the end of 1962. “…He also had an
aspiration as a Fine artist, making fanciful drawings and collages of shoes-personified as
“portraits”-as well as simple line drawings of other subjects.5”His artwork resembled the
work he produced in advertising through the similar use of techniques. Warhol began to
incorporate this style of commercial art in his paintings in1959. For instance, Warhol
created an image in 1961 entitled “Strom Door,” which displays his incorporation of
graphic design techniques.
Warhol’s use of film, photography, screen-printing and public spectacle made him
more relevant to contemporary values by embracing the means of reproduction. “His
life's project was to explore the aesthetic and cultural associations of the term 'media',
questioning structural boundaries.6” Film allowed him to take his vision to a broader
4
http://www.warholfoundation.org/biograph.htm
5
Fineberg, Jonathan. Art Since 1940 strategies of being. New York: Harry N. Abrams, inc., Publishers,
1995. Print. (p251)
6
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/warhol/
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audience. Warhol developed 16mm films, action less and silent films. An example: of
16mm film are Chelsea Girls, and Empire. These films displayed people in their
everyday lives living.
Warhol was reflecting his times and defining his times through his work, viewed
as demonstrated through his artwork. For example, he created an image in 1962 entitled
“Green Coca-Cola Bottles.” With this image, he wanted “… to reflect and shape
contemporary life.7” This display of “…coca cola represented democratic equality. 8”
Everyone during this period drank coca cola whether it was someone well known like the
president or a classmate.
Warhol’s work was very American, his work represented. For example, Campbell
soup, Americans consume this product. The images he created were all associated to
Warhol and to Americans. For example, “Coca-Cola bottles, newspaper photographs of
car crashes and of the empty desolation of the death chamber.9” Warhol’s work revolved
around American culture, he painted images of everyday life such as money, food, and
other everyday objects etc. He was ahead of his time when these images were created
7
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/warhol/
8
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/warhol/
9
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/warhol/
9
http://coca-cola-art.com/2007/11/07/king-of-pop-art/
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because he was so unpredictable. Warhol’s work was so unique and different
nobody knew what he would create next. For example, in 1966 when Warhol began to
create films.
Viewing his work at the Museum of Modern Art was great. I saw three of his
most famous pieces: “Campbell’s Soup Cans,” “Gold Marilyn Monroe,” and “Orange
Car Crash Fourteen Times.” It was eye opening to see how popular Andy Warhol was
compared to other famous artist, for example Pablo Picasso. When I went to the Museum
there were many spectators viewing Andy Warhol. Some of the comment I heard were
how interesting he displayed the many soups cans and the amazing colors he used.
When viewing Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup Cans,” created in 1962 it was
interesting how he displayed this image. Looking at the cans from a distance it appears as
if they are forming a pattern using color scheme and shape. It looks like a flowing river of
cans. I like this painting a lot because it displays a familiar object. When I first observed
the image I thought they were all identical. Upon further reflection, I realized he painted
all thirty-two different kinds of Campbell Soups. In this piece, I see an influence of
Marcel DuChamp. The many different soup cans are corresponding to Marcel Duchamp’s
Urinal and bicycle through the use of man-made materials. Warhol’s display of a product
that is familiar to society connects him to the regular person.
I also viewed “Gold Marilyn Monroe,” which was created in1962. This image
was created after Marilyn’s death and is part of Andy Warhol’s death series. I like how
this image was uniquely placed in the center. I enjoyed the vibrant colors he used to
portray Marilyn’s beauty and glamour. I was astonished to see so many flaws. When you
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viewed the image closely “…there are all sorts of smugges, blurs, imperfections.10” It
appears to me that those flaws provide cohesion to Marilyn’s struggles at the end of her
life.
The last art piece I examined was “Orange Car Crash Fourteen Times,” 1963.
This image was disturbing because it displays such a tragic moment. Warhol exhibited a
tragic car accident that made the news. It was very depressing to view a tragedy like this.
I was not fond of this painting because of Warhol choice to display such a terrible
moment. The color schemes are very strong and vividly the crash is displayed. However,
I like how he placed the accident on one canvas. It made the image appear in your face
while the other canvas is solid. The effect draws the entire focus to the crash.
Overall, after observing Warhol’s artwork I can relate to his work because he uses
objects that I can relate to, such as Campbell soup cans, and coca- cola bottles. “Warhol’s
art of this period revolves around consumer culture.11” Warhol’s work was unique and
out of this world. What made his work so radical was his use of familiar items that
society was accustomed to. Warhol’s total creation of an image, including color scheme,
thought process and how the image came together made his work revolutionary.
In conclusion, “Andy Warhol was not only the twentieth century's most “famous”
exponent of Pop art but, “a post-modern Renaissance man”: a commercial illustrator, a
writer, a photographer, a sculptor, a magazine editor, a television producer, an exhibition
curator, and one of the most important and provocative filmmakers of the New American
10
Museum of Modern Art Audio#411
11
Sims, Patterson. Whitney Museum of American Art: selected works from the permanent collection. Second
Edition. New York, London: 1994. Print. (p174)
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Cinema….12. Andy Warhol influenced the contemporary culture by exposing the people
to our world and what they knew.
12
http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/warhol.html
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