Andy Warhol 1928-1987

Andy Warhol was one of the most iconic artists of the 20^th century. His original name was Andrew Warhola, given to him by his Slovakian parents who immigrated to the United States in 1921. Andy was bed ridden for several months with Sydenham's Chorea when he was just 8 years old. To entertain him, his mother gave him drawing lessons, which quickly became his favorite pastime. Warhol later remarked how important this period was to the development of his personality and artistry. At the age of 21, Warhol moved to New York to become a commercial artist. At a time when the Abstract Expressionist movement was booming, Warhol found it difficult to merge the lines between commercial and fine art in light of the Expressionist movement.

In 1962, Warhol first exhibited his famous Campbell's Soup Cans. Though these works created a lot of controversy, they also placed him at the forefront of the modern art scene. As Warhol stated, "Once you 'got' pop, you could never see a sign the same way again. And once you thought pop, you could never see America the same way again." He was obsessed with fame and depicted American consumerism, famous Hollywood stars and world leaders.

 Andy Warhol died in 1987 due to complications after a surgery, but his legacy continues as one of the most significant artists of the 20^th century. Warhol's auction record hit a new high in November 2013 when his Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) (1963) sold at Sotheby's for $105.4 million, making his work the most expensive pop art on the market.

The Andy Warhol has a museum was dedicated to the artist in his hometown of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. His work is featured in numerous permanent collections all over the world.

Related Categories: Pop Art, Art of the 1960s, Silkscreen/Screenprint, Post-War American Art, Sexual Identity, Popular Culture, Repetition, Photographic Source, Glamour, Trauma.