The Influencer -
Andy Warhol was probably one of my first major influencers. His use of color and repetitive images seared into my memory. He was the first artist whose art resonated with me. His bold images, neon colors and grand scale intrigued me. One of my favorites to this day is “Electric Chair” in pink (Electric Chair 82 by Andy Warhol is from his Electric Chair portfolio published in 1971. This portfolio is part of his Death and Disaster series). I remember as a young man seeing this piece for sale at Martin Lawrence Galleries, if I only could. I currently see it available at REVOLVER Gallery in West Hollywood.
Born Andrew Warhola; August 6, 1928, Andy was an American artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, advertising, and celebrity culture that flourished by the 1960s, and span a variety of media, including painting, silkscreening, photography, film, and sculpture.
Some of his best known works include Andy Warhol Campbell Soup the silkscreen paintings Campbell's Soup Cans (1962) and Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe known as Marilyn Diptych (1962), the experimental film Chelsea Girls (1966), and the multimedia events known as the Exploding Plastic Inevitable (1966–67).
“The idea is not to live forever; it is to create something that will.”
- Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol was deeply interested in the concept of time and death. Many of his autobiographical works investigated the passage of time. Today, hailed are these experimental pieces as radical explorations that stretched beyond the frontiers of conventional artwork. Time Capsules (1974) catalogued his daily life, exhibiting and preserving items such as magazines, books and taxi receipts, instilling previously trivial objects with great significance.
Some Andy Warhol facts; Born and raised in Pittsburgh, (the current location of the Andy Warhol Museum) Warhol initially pursued a successful career as a commercial illustrator. After exhibiting his work in several galleries in the late 1950s, he began to receive recognition as an influential and controversial artist. His New York studio, The Factory, (look for connections like Steve Kaufman “SAK” and Louis Waldon) became a well-known gathering place that brought together distinguished intellectuals, drag queens, playwrights, Bohemian street people, Hollywood celebrities, and wealthy patrons. He promoted a collection of personalities known as Warhol superstars (take some time and explore the Warhol “Polaroids”, Debbie Harry is one of my favorites in the series), and is credited with inspiring the widely used expression "15 minutes of fame". In the late 1960s he managed and produced the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground and founded Interview magazine.
Many people ask how did Andy Warhol die, believing it was from being shot or complications with Aids but the truth is he died after gallbladder surgery. Andy Warhol officially died of cardiac arrhythmia on February 22nd 1987 at the age of 58.
Read the article, "Andy Warhol Was Shot By Valerie Solanas. It Killed Him 19 Years Later” by Sarah Pruitt
"His bold images, neon colors and grand scale intrigued me".
- Johnny Blanco
For more information on Andy Warhol you can read the Andy Warhol Diaries by Pat Hackett or
The Life and Death of Andy Warhol by Victor Bockris
Look in these Andy Warhol books for connections to:
• David Bowie
• Halston
• Keith Haring
• Debbie Harry
• Mick Jagger
• Grace Jones
• Madonna
• Liza Minnelli
• Nico
• Lou Reed
• Keith Richards
• Edie Sedgwick
• The Velvet Underground
• Louis Waldon
• Truman Capote
• Salvador Dalí
Bio facts from Wikipedia. Campbell’s Soup and Marilyn Monroe photos from MoMa
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