Andy was a renowned artist but he was also a silent film maker. Certain elements that Andy used such as repetition became very popular in the underground film industry. The major key to all of Andy’s work was that one can see his use of repetition in the painting that he creates. He repeatedly uses figures such as Marilyn Monroe and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, along with his abundant use of flowers in his paintings. Much like Andy’s repetition in the art world he used the same techniques in the films he constructed. People became very familiar with Andy’s art creations and film creations because of his use of repetition. If necessary one could spot his work out of a crowd of works because of the numerous times Andy created each of his works but made them slightly different to be appealing to people each time.
Andy bought his first film camera in 1963. The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh contains about 350 tapes that Andy created. He created many different genres such as soap-operas, music videos, and his personal video diaries. Some of the full length films that the museum holds of Andy’s are The Chelsea Girls and Empire. The Chelsea Girls was originally a six hour long movie of people in the Factory doing their everyday things. His film is slightly sexual and contains a full frontal male nudity scene. Andy created many other films but decided that his true calling was in the art industry so he went back to painting.
Photo Source:
"Amoeba Art Show Seeks Warholians at the Amoeblog." Amoeba Music – The World's Largest Independent Record Store. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.
Source:
"Andy Warhol - Biography." National Gallery of Art. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.
"Bright Lights Film Journal :: Andy Warhol: The Chelsea Girls." Bright Lights Film Journal :: November 2010 Issue 70. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.
"Warhol: Film Video Collection." The Warhol:. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.
Andy made a lasting impression on the art world because of his many unique styles of creating Pop art. Andy’s unique styles made his art stand out versus other artists styles. In the book Andy Warhol “Giant” Size, one of the authors state, “In Warhol’s paintings, there is always a visible distinction between the picture of the object we desire (and can never possess) and the iconic presence of the painting we prefer (and can always acquire)” (Hickey D12). Hickey states this to show how Andy is able to create a picture of which one can visualize the beauty the people and things he draws, but the beauty is actually unattainable to them. Andy paints several picture of Marilyn Monroe which portrays his unique ability. In the text it refers to his paintings of Marilyn Monroe stating, “He borrows her image for a painting, as an icon of her aura, as a reminder of which we can not possess” (Hickey D12). Hickey later goes on to state, “He knew the picture was not the person”, to continually add emphases on Andy’s ability to create such a masterpiece that could give beautiful art without taking advantage of the art given to them (D12). Andy gave to the art world more than just his art but also introduced techniques and styles never introduced to the art world before his existence.
Andy also made a huge impact on the real world and its technologies. Even though he created art his styles seemed to impact the way television is viewed and how objects were viewed and used on the big screen. In the book Andy Warhol, Prince of Pop it states, “He had profoundly influenced both high art and popular culture” (Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan 147). The vivid colors he used in his art contributed to how one now views their television set. His art seemed to somehow evolve from the canvas to the tube. The books states, “Advertising, especially on TV, took its cue from Andy’s Pop art Style with its Day-Glo colors, repetition, common objects, and laid-back wit” (147). Andy’s art affected the whole world even after the day he died. The world became more aware of how much Andy actually effected the world when at his funeral about “two thousand people from all periods in Andy’s life streamed in to pay their respects to the Prince of Pop” (Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan 146). A year after Andy’s death all of his possessions were sold and the income of the sale added to about 25.3 million dollars of sold merchandise. (Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan) Roughly six thousand people attended the auction proving the icon that Andy was to the public. (Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan) Andy’s lasting effect on the world can never be summed up into one of his paintings; it can only be shown through all of the beautiful things he gave to the world.
Sources:
Greenberg, Jan, and Sandra Jordan. Andy Warhol, Prince of Pop. New York: Delacorte, 2004. Print.
Hickey, Dave, Kenneth Goldsmith, Ivan Karp, David Dalton, Peggy Phelan, RonnieCotrone, and Bruno Bischofberger. Andy Warhol "Giant" Size. London: Phaidon Limited, 2006. Print.
Andy Warhol was born in 1928 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to Czechoslovakian emigrant's Ondrej and Julia Warhola. His parents originally named him Andrew Warhola but he later changed his name to Andy Warhol when he graduated college. Warhol came from a working class family. His father worked as a construction worker until he tragically died when Andy was thirteen years old. At a young age Andy showed a strong talent with his art abilities. As a child Andy was obsessed with childhood star Shirley Temple and modeled most of his work off her image. He loved how she could portray someone grown up but at the same time had attributes of a young child. After completing high school Andy went to the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh where he further studied his passion for the arts. He studied Commercial Art and later went on to work for Publications like Vouge and Harpar’s Bazaar. Andy did not want to be known only for his commercial art; though that is the career he led for a long period of time.
In 1956 Andy finally broke out into the art world. In the 60’s he began his commonly know silkscreen paintings. Andy showed a lot of interest in celebrities which led him to creating one of his most famous silkscreen designs of Marilyn Monroe. From that point on everything changed for Andy Warhol and he became very famous very fast. In 1962 at the age of thirty-four, Andy had around 46 illustrations known to the public. From 1962 -1966 Andy Warhol went from having 46 illustrations known to the public to 69 illustrations known to the public. His silkscreen paintings became so famous that celebrities began paying Warhol to paint silkscreen paintings of them because they loved them so much. Besides silkscreen paintings, Andy had a knack for taking items that seemed to have nothing interesting about them and made them spectacular. He took things that were commercial art and transformed them into masterpieces. One of his most famous designs known, using this technique, is his Campbell’s soup design. His use of the soup cans made huge additions to his so successful career. Andy Warhol was an unfinished masterpiece that continued to amaze people even to his death in 1987. He gained the title from the media as the “Prince of Pop” because of the everlasting imprint he made on the art world.
Sources:
"Andy Warhol Biography - Artelino." Artelino - Japanese Prints and Contemporary Chinese Art Prints. Web. 06 Dec. 2010.
Galenson, David W. "Analyzing Artistic Innovation: The Greatest Breakthroughs of the Twentieth Century." Historical Methods 41.3 (2008): 111-120. World History Collection. EBSCO. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.
"NGA Classroom: Who Am I?: Self Portraits in Art and Writing: Student Activity: Andy Warhol / Digital Self-Portraits." National Gallery of Art. Web. 02 Dec. 2010.
Rix, Fred. "Dogs Tags for Virtual Sniffing." Illustration. Technology Review 110.4 (July 2007): 16. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 14 December 2007.
Stimson, Blake. "Andy Warhol's Red Beard." Art Bulletin 83.3 (2001): 527. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.Image Source:
Room, By. "Elvis, 1963 (triple Elvis) by Andy Warhol Art Print - WorldGallery.co.uk." Art Prints & Posters - WorldGallery.co.uk for Modern & Classic Prints & Framing. Web. 06 Dec. 2010.
Art takes on many forms and can express an individual or group of people. There are many artists who are well known around the world but the name Andy Warhol can never be forgotten. Andy Warhol believed that he could turn anything into art and proved this to be true by taking random items and making them astounding. He is most famous for his unique art styles such as silkscreen art and Pop art. Warhol made a huge impact on the art community and the world. His jaw dropping creations always caught the public and media’s attention; from his Campbell’s Soup masterpiece to his Marilyn Monroe creations. He was able to capture beauty but in the strangest ways possible making him one of mine and many others favorite artists of all time.
Andy Warhol‘s works of art can teach one the beauty that one can gain through expressing themselves as an individual. Through his art, Warhol expressed his individualism and uniqueness as an artist. He was not afraid to cross boundaries of what was considered to be well constructed art. Instead, he took the initiative to try different things thus leading him to his well known success around the world.
Sources:
"NGA Classroom: Who Am I?: Self Portraits in Art and Writing: Student Activity: Andy Warhol / Digital Self-Portraits." National Gallery of Art. Web. 02 Dec. 2010.
