Contents
Andy Warhol
Making soup cans, celebrities and mass-produced images central subjects of Pop art.
Campbell’s Soup Cans · Marilyn Diptych
- Born
- 6 August 1928
- Birthplace
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Died
- 22 February 1987
More people
Andy Warhol
An American artist who moved from commercial illustration into painting, printmaking, film and publishing. His studio, the Factory, also became a meeting place for New York’s cultural scene.
Early life
Pittsburgh roots
Grew up in a family of immigrants from present-day Slovakia.
Commercial training
Studied pictorial design at Carnegie Institute of Technology before moving to New York.
Career
- 1949
Commercial illustrator
Began a successful illustration career in New York.
- 1962
Pop-art breakthrough
Exhibited Campbell’s Soup Cans and developed celebrity silkscreens.
- 1960s
The Factory
Expanded into experimental films and collaboration with performers.
- 1969
Interview magazine
Co-founded a magazine centred on culture and conversation.
Selected work
Campbell’s Soup Cans
Presented supermarket packaging in a gallery sequence.
Marilyn Diptych
Repeated a publicity image to explore celebrity and its disappearance.
Chelsea Girls
An experimental film using simultaneous projected images.
Beyond art
Music
Supported the Velvet Underground and helped connect its music with multimedia performance.
Private faith
Maintained a religious life that was less visible than his public persona.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Bernard Gotfryd. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
