Andy Warhol 1929-1987
Artist Style – Pop Art
Pop artist changed the art world in the late 1950s’ and 1960s’. They presented images
from every day life and from the commercial world around them. Their images came
from comic strips, movies, billboards, and grocery store shelves.
Some critics felt that pop art images were a commentary of the proliferation of massproduced products and contemporary culture. Warhol used a giant Campbell’s Soup
Can and Brillo Soap Pads as imagery in early art works, reminders of a childhood
spent at home while he was ill.
Warhol focused much of his attention to the faces of movie stars and popular
celebrities of his time. Many of his Pop art images use high contrast colors and
exaggerated “off register” edges.
Artist Technique/Media:
His work and that of other Pop artist used hard edged lines, an impersonal quality
using screen printed or painted flat, bright colors, and are unrealistic and not
flattering.
Andy Warhol 1929-1987
Themes:
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Movie stars & musicians (Monroe, Elvis, Jaeger, Brando, Taylor, Jackson)
Politicians & their wives (Jackie O, Mao, Kennedy)
Celebrities ( Mickey Mouse, Ali, Self Portraits,)
Commercial products (Campbell’s Soup, Brillo)
Animals
Tragedy
Andy Warhol 1929-1987
Materials: He worked in a range of media, including
painting, printmaking, sculpture, film, and music. Warhol
turned to photographic images from advertising and journalism
as the starting-point for his celebrated silkscreen paintings.
Andy Warhol
Biography
Andy was born in 1928 in Pittsburgh as the son of Slovak immigrants. His original name was Andrew
Warhola. His father was as a construction worker and died in an accident when Andy was 13 years old.
Andy showed an early talent in drawing and painting. After high school he studied commercial art at the
Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. Warhol graduated in 1949 and went to New York where
he worked as an illustrator for magazines like Vogue and Harpar's Bazaar and for commercial
advertising. He soon became one of New York's most sought of and successful commercial illustrators.
In 1952 Andy Warhol had his first one-man show exhibition at the Hugo Gallery in New York. In 1956
he had an important group exhibition at the renowned Museum of Modern Art.
In the sixties Warhol started painting daily objects of mass production like Campbell Soup cans and
Coke bottles. Soon he became a famous figure in the New York art scene. From 1962 on he started
making silkscreen prints of famous personalities like Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor.
The quintessence of Andy Warhol art was to remove the difference between fine arts and the
commercial arts used for magazine illustrations, comic books, record albums or advertising campaigns.
Warhol
Biography
Warhol once expressed his philosophy in one sentence:
"When you think about it, department stores are kind of like museums".
The pop artist not only depicted mass products but he also wanted to mass produce his own works of pop
art. Consequently he founded The Factory in 1962. It was an art studio where he employed in a rather
chaotic way "art workers" to mass produce mainly prints and posters but also other items like shoes
designed by the artist. The first location of the Factory was in 231 E. 47th Street, 5th Floor (between 1st &
2nd Ave).
Warhol's favorite printmaking technique was silkscreen. It came closest to his idea of proliferation of art.
Apart from being an Art Producing Machine, the Factory served as a filmmaking studio. Warhol made over
300 experimental underground films - most rather bizarre and some rather pornographic. His first one was
called Sleep and showed nothing else but a man sleeping over six hours.
In July of 1968 the pop artist was shot two to three times into his chest by a woman named Valerie Solanis.
Andy was seriously wounded and only narrowly escaped death. Valerie Solanis had worked occasionally for
the artist in the Factory. Solanis had founded a group named SCUM (Society for Cutting Up Men) and she
was its sole member. When Valerie Solanis was arrested the day after, her words were "He had too much
control over my life".
Warhol never recovered completely from his wounds and had to wear a bandage around his waist for the
rest of his life.
Andy Warhol 1928-1987
Biography In Short Form
• Artist Personal Experiences
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Born in Forest City, Pennsylvania.
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Grew up in a poor Pennsylvania mining town
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Father dies while Warhol is a teen
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Suffered nervous breakdowns
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Idolized movie stars
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Lived during cultural turmoil of the 1960’s &
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1970’s
• Education
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Carnegie University
Andy Warhol 1928-1987
Biography In Short Form
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Worked as illustrator in New York
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Produced shoe ads in early illustration
career
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Held first exhibit at Loft Gallery signaling
the start of pop art
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Was a the center of New York City social
scene
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Famous for “fifteen minutes of fame”
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Influenced Roy Lichtenstein and other
Pop artists.
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Made several movies
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Worked with teams of “assistants”
creating mass produced art
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Collected art & artifacts into huge
collections
Andy Warhol 1928-1987
World Conditions: In the United States, "the Sixties", as
they are known in popular culture, is a term used by historians,
journalists, and other academics; in some cases to describe the
counterculture and social revolution near the end of the decade;
and to describe the era as one of irresponsible excess and
flamboyance. The decade was also labeled the Swinging Sixties
because of the fall or relaxation of some social taboos especially
relating to sexism and racism that occurred during this time.
Warhol tapped into the excesses and commercialism of the era
with his flamboyant life style and art works portraying the rich &
famous and commercial product images.
Andy Warhol 1928-1987
General Historical Facts
Lived during cultural turmoil of the 1960’s & 1970’s
Prosperity in America
Commercialism & consumer buying power grows
Social / Cultural Facts-Events
Movie stars & rock stars idolized
The space race is on
Anti-government…anti-war themes create generation gap
Andy Warhol 1928-1987
Artist Intent
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To create art works showing “popular” images of idols and everyday products
Created works based on stars, politicians, animals, catastrophes, American icons, and famous art works
Warhol tried to reach us all with everyday images
Warhol’s work is colorful and has a mass produced screen printed look. He evokes a mood of upbeat
commercialism
Warhol’s work reminds us that art can be seen in all that we view everyday
Artist Materials
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Acrylic paints
Screen printing
Mass produced printing techniques
Warhol's styles is “Pop” art
Andy Warhol 1928-1987
Resources:
• Scholastic Art / Art & Man: February, 2000
• Scholastic Art / Art & Man: May, 1987
• Warhol, Aberville Modern Masters
• Wikipedia
• http://www.biography.com/people/andy-warhol-9523875
• Google image search
• http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=
20070930081426AAmzeb4
3 Art - Works – Compare & Contrast
Description: A portrait of a
Famous movie actress from the 1960s.
Andy Warhol
Marylyn
1962
Screen Print
Similarities: Flat color, Screen print
Differences: Dark outlines, lack of detail
Art Elements:
Lines- Thick
Color- Flat
Space – Shallow
Design Principles:
Harmony- Color
Balance- Informal
Emphasis – Eye & lip shapes
Description: An image of a commercial
product found throughout America.
Andy Warhol
Campbell’s Soup Can
1964
Screen Print
Similarities: Flat color, Screen print
Differences: Warm colors, hard edge lines
Art Elements:
Lines- Thin
Color- Flat
Space – Shallow
Design Principles:
Harmony- Color
Variety – Lines
Emphasis – Campbell’s name on the can
Description: A screen
printed image of an animal
using outlines and flat
colors.
Andy Warhol
Orangutan
1983
Screen Print
Similarities: Flat color, Screen
print
Differences: Cool colors, outlined
in color pencil
Art Elements:
Lines- Thin
Color- Flat
Space – Shallow
Design Principles:
Harmony- Color
Variety – Lines
Emphasis – Eye color
My Art Work – Victor Thatcher
Theme- A portrait of a Comfrey student using flat & bight colors.
Theme Meaning- My work symbolizes an attempt to create a Warhol like portrait.
Materials Used- Acrylic paint on canvas.
Theme Connection- My theme connects with the vast commercialization of America and
the Art of Andy Warhol who exposed that commercialization. My work goes one step further by
taking an anonymous person and using the Warhol technique to create celebrity.
Style- Pop Art
Art Elements
Line- Hard edge lines made with colors butting with one another.
Shape or Form- Very geometric with no shading to create volume.
Colors- Bright , warm and very flat with no 3-D shading.
Textures- Very flat & smooth.
Space- Flat with no depth, very intentional lack of depth to create a poster like
quality.
Art Principles
Variety- A variety of colors and shapes are used
Harmony- I used repeated lines, shapes & colors.
Emphasis- The face of Victor is emphasized using color.
Balance- Asymmetrical or informal.
Proportion- Colors are intentionally altered to create emphasis.
Movement- The work lacks visual movement.
Rhythm- My work also lacks rhythm.
Tension- The colors may create some slight tension in the use of contrast.
Personal Comments
What I learned: I learned how to use a photograph and Photoshop
tools to create a negative image to project on the canvas. Additionally, I was
careful to chose colors that would create stark contrast in an attempt to emulate
Warhol’s Pop Art style. I attempted to use flat colors with no shading other than
the outline of the face to make a finished work.
Possible Changes: I think it would be interesting to create a series
of the same image in different colors. However, I am satisfied with the end result
of this art work.
Preliminary Sketches
Photo of completed work.