Andy Warhol’s Life and Works

Introduction

I was first introduced to Andy Warhol at my old school, Pathways. We were assigned to do some of his artwork on Adobe Photoshop and this is when I became interested in his artwork and the techniques he used. I chose to do my project on Andy Warhol to learn more about him. Andy Warhol was a famous artist born in America on August 6, 1928 and unfortunately he died at age 59 on February 22, 1987, leaving behind an art legacy as well as the opportunity to create even more works of art. Andy Warhol is an artist that created many well known art pieces; one of them being the Campbell’s soup can. Andy had an excellent career where he earned many awards and recognitions; one of the most important ones being known as one of the most influential and controversial artists.

Life

Andy went through many struggles that formed the famous artist he became. He suffered from hypochondria as a child and while bedridden, studied the celebrity culture through magazines and tabloids. Andy’s father died when he was a teenager, which traumatized him. Andy was able to move on to college and attended Carnegie Mellon University where he learned so many useful techniques and ideas he used in his work. Andy’s poor background helped prepare him for the Pop revolution that was to come by helping him understand the more common elements of what was happening around him.

Style

The basic medium for Warhol’s work on canvas and paper was printmaking, especially screenprint. He was an extremely energetic artist who played a significant role in redirecting the course of art. The Shot Marilyn’s was produced in 1964, consisting of four canvases of Marilyn Monroe shot through the head Dorothy Podber: ‘Witch’ who shot Warhol’s Marilyns, In 1962 Warhol painted his famous Campbell’s soup cans on 32 canvases. He then turned to the photo silk-screen process, which would become his signature medium. In 1968 Andy became involved with a woman named Valerie Salanas who wanted him to produce a feminist play she had written but he found too disturbing. She subsequently shot him,critically wounding him. Critics have seen Andy’s work going into decline but years after we can tell that his artwork did not go into a declined but actually turned more popular.

My Project

My Andy Warhol project made me realize all the hard work he had to do to create such fabulous artwork. The process it takes to create his artwork and to use his technique of print screen/block was time consuming and intricate. I had to be extremely precise and accurate while carving out each piece. This made me realize even more how Andy put a lot of time and effort into what he was passionate about. My experience creating Barack Obama as my Andy Warhol project gave me new insight as to how art develops over time. Even though in the start people couldn’t tell what was being created the final product shocked everyone and me. It was amazing to see how Andy’s Tecniche change a simple block print into a piece of artwork to make art different from others.

Conclusion

In conclusion Andy Warhol had gone through many struggles that even though it impacted in some way in his life that never stopped him from becoming such an amazing artist that he was. Andy Warhol is such an inspiration for many including me because he was a man of many talents and use each and every one of his talents and his talents got him to be a recognized artist. Andy Warhole sold many of his artwork pieces as well work with companies to make the logos and there is where he started growing as an artist. One of my favorite quotes from Andy Warhol “As soon as you stop wanting something, you get it.” ― Andy Warhol.