Queers in History: Andy Warhol, Artist

b. August 6, 1928
d. February 22, 1987

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."

With his pioneering image-appropriating Pop Art, Andy Warhol is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

Born Andrew Warhola in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he studied pictorial design at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). He moved to New York City and worked in advertising for Tiffany & Co., Columbia Records, Vogue, NBC and The New York Times.

Galleries rejected his early drawings due to their overt homosexual content. In the 1960’s, Warhol appropriated images from popular culture to create his iconic "Campbell Soup Can," "Disasters" and "Marilyn" series. He made avant-garde films including "Sleep," "Chelsea Girls" and "Empire." Warhol’s studio, The Factory, attracted artists, art critics and celebrities.

In the 1970’s, he focused on celebrity portraits using screen printing and paint. Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli, John Lennon and Diana Ross were among his subjects. Warhol founded the magazine Interview, dedicated to the "cult of celebrity." He wrote in "The Philosophy of Andy Warhol" (1975) that "Making money is art, and working is art and good business is the best art."

Following routine gall bladder surgery, Warhol suffered a heart attack and died. His will stipulated that his estate create a foundation for the advancement of the arts. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts helps secure Warhol’s legacy and is one of the preeminent national funders of innovative contemporary art.

Warhol’s work is exhibited in modern art institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum, all in New York City, the Tate Museum in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh is the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single artist.

Bibliography

“American Masters.” PBS. July 2, 2008

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/warhol_a.html

“Andy Warhol.” The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.

July 2, 2008

http://www.warholfoundation.org/biograph.htm

“Andy Warhol.” Guggenheim Museum. July 2, 2008

http://www.guggenheimcollection.org/site/artist_bio_163.html

Pearson, Richard. “Andy Warhol, Pioneer of Pop Art, Dies after Heart Attack.” The Washington Post. February 23, 1987

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/review96/fishotandywarhol.htm

Articles

Dargis, Manohola. “Unblinking Eye, Visual Diary: Warhol’s Films.” The New York Times. October 21, 2007