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Andy Warhol born as "Andrew Warhola" is one of the most important artists to have worked in the 20th century. His career spanned painting, sculpture, film, and adveritising. He also created a self persona which was larger than life. Warhol won several awards from the Art Director's Club. ??????????



(Rough Draft)

__THE FATHER OF POP ART__

Andy Warhol fused his artistry, consumer capitalism, media and advertising, which often raised attention and skepticism from critics. The predicament Warhol was known for was whether his art was fine art or commercial art. He produced many works using a variety of images from the world of commerce and mass media. As an illustrator working in commercial media, he had seen first hand the power of “the logo” and of the “celebrity image” to be quickly recognized and consumed. To his credit, he took that knowledge and translated it into art.

Warhol’s subjects were immediately identifiable and often had a mass appeal. This aspect interested him most and unified his paintings from this period. The majority of his work during the 1960’s was centered around American pop culture. His first pop paintings came in 1961 and were based on comics and ads and then a series of Campbell's Soup Cans came in 1962. This created a frenzy in the art world. His “non-painterly style”, and the commercial subject initially caused outrage. There were debates on the “merits and ethics” of focusing his efforts on such a dull commercial inanimate object but this is what kept Warhol's work in art world conversations. It was really unthinkable that a “true artist” would diminish the art form to the equivalent of a trip to the local grocery store. In retrospect, this was the beginning of Warhol’s ascent as a celebrity.

Though his talented career extended into other arenas such as film, publishing, writing, television, and music as he progressed through his career, it was American brand name products like Campbell’s Soup or Coca-Cola, which were the catalyst that put him on the map. He is famously quoted as saying “What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coca Cola, Liz Taylor drinks Coca Cola, and just think, you can drink Coca Cola, too. A coke is a coke and no amount of money can get you a better coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the cokes are the same and all the cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it.

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol: (From A to B and Back Again), 1975 Warhol also had a life-long fascination with Hollywood. In 1962 he began a large series of celebrity portraits, including Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor. He became known as the celebrity painter. He associated himself with larger than life personalities who were obsessions nationally and globally.

The psychology between the media, its range and his selection of subject matter is fascinating. It goes beyond just glamour. He is credited with coining the phrase “15 minutes of fame” and believed that media could enable any person to become famous. “Advertising and public relations can be considered as propaganda that promotes a commercial product or shapes the perception of an organization, person or brand.” In Warhol’s case, he painted things he held close at heart. He enjoyed eating Campbell's soup, had a liked Coca-Cola, loved money, and admired movie stars. He did not do it for the for the money nor for a business relationship which is honorable as the exact opposite can be said about advertising and media in today’s society.

Warhol was philosophical in his thoughts and work. He had a knack for mocking and manipulating mass media in his own right. His thirty-two soup cans image is a prime example about mass production and labels basically imitating advertising.

During the post world war era, the forms of media and its reach is nowhere as all encompassing as it is in today’s mainstream media. Warhol's art at the core is really is about fashion, style and sensationalism, which is why it has transcended recognition and admiration through generations of followers.







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"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." The Philosophy of Andy Warhol