It is rare to find a genius as famous as Andy Warhol in the art world. An icon figure who has influenced the majority of contemporary artists. Warhol is an iconic figure of Pop Art, known for his unique paintings, films as well as his relationship with Hollywood.
Who is Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol is a pure genius who has left his mark on contemporary art. He was a worldly publicist who produced silk-screen prints. Thanks to his close ties to show-business figures and Hollywood, his silkscreens travelled the world with many movie stars.
In the world of pop art, he was the first to understand the true importance of images in a consumer society. His real name is Andrew Warhola, born August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh.
As a child, being the young son of an immigrant, he lived in a poor environment. His father died when Andrew was only fourteen years old. After graduating from high school, he went on to study at the Carnegie Institute of Technology from 1945 to 1948. During this time he was introduced to the world of advertising.
After Carnegie, the young Warhol went to New York to launch his career as an advertising designer. At the time, he offered his services to magazines like Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Glamour. He gradually began to make a name for himself in the New York community and then throughout America and the world.
Andy Warhol's works
Full of new ideas, Warhol donned a legendary platinum wig. He tried his hand at painting with famous pictures like Popeye and Dick Tracy in 1960. Shortly afterwards, he devoted himself to the reproduction of consumer products in silk-screen printing.
Among his most famous works are Campbell's soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles. His work had a direct and irreversible impact on consumer perception of products. He later took part in the first Pop Art exhibition.
Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe-dedicated silkscreens
Two years after his first series of paintings, Andy Warhol produced a number of silkscreens in which he illustrated the very famous Marilyn Monroe. Thanks to a rather unique skill, he became the king of pop art. His technique consisted of taking black and white photographs, colouring them and reproducing them in silkscreen. He did the same with stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.