Andy Warhol - Prince of Twentieth-Century Pop Culture

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Andy Warhol - Prince of Twentieth-Century Pop Culture

"They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." Andy Warhol, born Andrew Warhola, did, in fact, change times in the second half of the 20th Century. Andy Warhol, the leader of the pop art movement, is considered one of the most important American artists of the 20th century. He helped shape American media and popular culture through artwork based on images taken from pop culture. (http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95aug/warhol.html)

Warhol used commercial silk screening techniques, this enabled him to project identical, mass produced images on canvas. He then added variations of color to create a different look for print. His artwork tells the story of the 20th century through pictures of celebrities and popular images such as the Campbell's soup can. Walking down the halls of the Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, brings one back to their childhood. Looking at Warhol's artwork is like looking into your past. You see pop culture images that remind you of your childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

The artist and film maker was born on August 6, 1928 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. At age 29, Andy Warhol passes away in New York on February 27, 1987. He attended the Carnegie institute of Technology in Pittsburgh and showed an early talent in drawing and art. Warhol graduated from the institute in 1949 and moved to New York where he worked as an illustrator for magazines like Vogue and Harpar's Bazaar. His career began as a very successful commercial illustrator. Warhol mimicked advertising in his artwork, his art was about sameness. Same brand, same size, same paint surface, same frame as product, he was able to do this thr...

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...ctory also produced other items like shoes designed by Andy Warhol. (http://www.artelino.com/articles/andy_warhol.asp)

The influential artist was a very strange person. Warhol was a homosexual and was known to be a very bizarre person. He loved cats which is visible in his many works which include cats. He died his hair strawberry blond and later wore silver-grey wigs. He has been described by friends as a workaholic and obsessed with his ambition to become famous and wealthy. He achieved his American dream through all of his success that is still very visible even after his death. (http://www.artelino.com/articles/andy_warhol.asp)

Works Cited

Artelino. "Andy Warhol Biography 1928-1987." Copyright© 28 March 2002.

http://www.artelino.com/articles/andy_warhol.asp Lucidecafe. "Andy Warhol." 14 Jan 2004

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/W/warhol.html.

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