Andy Warhol

My Early Life

• Born August 6, 1928• Birth name is Andrew Warhola• Grew up in ghetto area in Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania• Parents: Julia Zavacky and Ondrej

Warhola– From Carpatho Ruthenia (area in the

Carpathian Mountains)

My Early Life (continued)

• Youngest child in family– Other brothers were Paul and John

• Attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology after high school– Today known as Carnegie-Mellon University– I majored in pictorial design

The Big City

• Moved to New York City in 1949 with my classmate, Phillip Pearlstein

• First jobs included:– Illustrating shoe advertisements and recipes

• After a year, I became very successful as a commercial artist – Did images for magazines, such as Glamour – Worked for the art department of the I. Miller shoe

store

VS

The Epiphany • I was making a name for myself in commercial

art• But, by the mid-1950s I wanted to step away

from commercial art and create fine art • I would have never been able to become a

fine artist or make a big imprint in the history of art if I was not fascinated by pop culture and if I did not ask others for ideas

Pop Art Commercial Art

Influence #1: Popular Culture

• It all started when I joined the Shirley Temple fan club

• When you joined the club, she sent an autograph in return

• I treasured that autograph • At on point I wanted to be a tap dancer just like

her– “I never wanted to be a painter. I wanted to be a tap

dancer”

Influence #1: Popular Culture (continued)

• My exposure to popular culture continued when I was diagnosed with rheumatic fever at the age of 8

• What is rheumatic fever?– It causes a child to have a weak heart and crippling

arthritis • My condition worsened when the fever became

chorea, which is a complication of rheumatic fever

Influence #1: Popular Culture (continued)

• Bed rest was the only treatment for chorea • During this time I would – collect pictures of celebrities– listen to the radio– read comics• I liked the images in the comics so I “used to get wax

paper and get the comic strip and trace it and get the impression”

Influence #1: Popular Culture (continued)

• The activities I did during my bed rest exposed me to pop culture

• This led to my appeal with popular items and celebrities

• A great deal of my work has been influenced by popular culture

• For example:

Influence #1: Popular Culture (continued)

• As I got more famous, my fascination with pop culture continued

• In 1963 I had created a studio in New York City known as the Factory

• The environment was composed of many social gatherings where I could learn about new trends in fashion, music, or art and then incorporate them into masterpieces

Influence #2: Asking Others

• Some of my best work had come from my friends

• I would ask people ideas for new pieces • “I was never embarrassed about asking

someone, literally, ‘What should I paint?’ because Pop comes from the outside and how is asking someone for ideas any different from looking for them in a magazine?...”

Influence #2: Asking Others (continued)

• Conversation with Muriel Latow, who is an interior decorator, has provided me with a life changing idea

• Decemeber 1961:– We were both at a party– I was telling everyone that I did not know what to draw

next– Latow said she would give me an idea, if I paid her fifty

dollars for it – She said, “You like money. You should paint that. And

you should paint something that everybody sees everyday…like cans of soup”

Influence #2: Asking Others (continued)

• Those words hatched the subject matter for my upcoming pieces that had changed everything

• I created my “Rolls of Bills” and “Campbell’s Soup Can” pieces

• These pieces changed the world’s perspective on modern art and helped me create a name for myself

My Impact• My art would have never changed the outlook

on modern art if I was not influenced by people’s ideas and pop culture – Pop culture is what made me create new

viewpoints on famous objects and people • Which caused people to perceive every day objects in a

new way

– Asking others had given me an insight on what people are interested in at the moment and had helped me create some of my best work • Which opened doors to new ideas for modern art

Works Cited for Images• "NEW FRAGRANCE REVIEW: Andy Warhol by Bond No. 9 15 Minutes Draw | Cafleurebon - Fragrance Is a Language of Translating the World." NEW

FRAGRANCE REVIEW: Andy Warhol by Bond No. 9 15 Minutes Draw | Cafleurebon - Fragrance Is a Language of Translating the World. Web. 28 May 2012. <http://www.cafleurebon.com/new-fragrance-review-andy-warhol-by-bond-no-9-15-minutes-draw/>.

• "NEW YORK ART STUDIO." : Carnegie Mellon University. Web. 28 May 2012. <http://ny-artstudio.blogspot.com/2011/05/carnegie-mellon-university.html>.

• "New York State Psychiatric Association." New York State Psychiatric Association. Web. 28 May 2012. <http://www.nyspsych.org/Pages/default.aspx>.• "Andy Warhol." Andy Warhol. Web. 28 May 2012. <http://animation.monline.dk/a10/artists_a10/warhol/>.• Sarah. "The My Hero Project - Shirley Temple-Black." Myhero.com. Web. 28 May 2012. <http://myhero.com/go/hero.asp?

hero=S_TempleBlack_dnhs_US_2010_ul>.• "Bilingual Laboratory 1º E.S.O." Bilingual Laboratory 1º E.S.O.: A Brief History of Comic. Web. 28 May 2012.

<http://bilinguallaboratory1eso.blogspot.com/p/brief-history-of-comic.html>.• Porter, Richard. "Richard Porter's Blog." : Andy Warhol's Jackie Kennedy 1963. Web. 28 May 2012.

<http://richardporterwritechatmessage.blogspot.com/2011/06/andy-warhols-jackie-kennedy-1963.html>. • P, Avery. "Image vs. Substance: Perceptions of Beauty." : "Elizabeth Taylor" by Andy Warhol (1963). Web. 29 May 2012.

<http://beautyovertime.blogspot.com/2011/05/elizabeth-taylor-by-andy-warhol-1963_15.html>. • "If It's Hip, It's Here: Mod Mickeys: The Modernization of Disney's Mickey Mouse." If It's Hip, It's Here: Mod Mickeys: The Modernization of Disney's

Mickey Mouse. Web. 29 May 2012. <http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2007/12/mod-mickeys-modernization-of-disneys.html>. • "HumanitiesWeb.org - "Superman" by Andy Warhol [Selected Works]." HumanitiesWeb.org - "Superman" by Andy Warhol [Selected Works]. Web. 29

May 2012. <http://www.humanitiesweb.org/spa/gcp/ID/1076>. • "ANDY WARHOL Flower 1964. Pop Art, Edition Prints and Original Paintings for Sale."ANDY WARHOL Flower 1964. Pop Art, Edition Prints and Original

Paintings for Sale. Web. 29 May 2012. <http://www.gallerywarhol.com/andy-warhol-flowers-1964-FS-II.6.htm>. • Johannes. "Montevidayo." Strange Factories and Star Fuckers: Andy Warhol, Gunnar Björling and Henry Parland -. Web. 29 May 2012.

<http://www.montevidayo.com/?p=2313>. • "Poisonous Pulchritude." - From 1967 to 1973, Warhol's Factory Was Located On... Web. 29 May 2012.

<http://poisonous.tumblr.com/post/334699849/from-1967-to-1973-warhols-factory-was-located-on>. • "ROOM VIEW SHOWCASE." Art.com. Web. 29 May 2012. <http://www.art.com/products/p13718870-sa-i2703505/andy-warhol-roll-of-bills-

c1962.htm>. • Wallace, Natasha. "Andy Warhol 's Campbell's Soup Can." Andy Warhol 's Campbell's Soup Can. Web. 29 May 2012.

<http://jssgallery.org/other_artists/andy_warhol/campbells_soup_can.htm>.

Works Cited for Info.• Byers, Paula K., ed. “Andy Warhol.” Encyclopedia of World Biograghy.

Volume 16. Detroit, • Michigan: Gale Research, 1998. Print. 27 Volumes. • Greenberg, Jan, and Sandra Jordan. Andy Warhol: Prince of Pop. New

York: Delacorte Press. • 2004. Print.• Moritz, Charles, ed. “Warhol, Andy.” Current Biography Yearbook, 1986.

New York: The H.W. • Wilson Company, 1986. 588-591. Print. • Salvo, Donna De. “Andy Warhol.” American National Biography. Ed. John

A. Garraty. Vol 22. • New York: American Council of Leonard Societies, 1999. Print. 24

Volumes.• Shanes, Eric. Andy Warhol. Rochester, UK: Grange Books, 2005. Print.

• All cited images in this project are used under the Fair Use interpretation of copyright laws. All others are used by permission.