Andy Warhol

Andrew Warhola, as Andy Warhol was actually named, was born in Pittsburgh, USA, into a family of Czech immigrant miners. He had to start from scratch, but he was incredibly ambitious. He trained as a graphic designer and soon began receiving commissions from high-end magazines.

In addition to taking on advertising commissions, he also began to focus on painting. His debut exhibition as an artist in 1962 consisted of series featuring Coca-Cola bottles, Campbell’s soup cans, and dollar bills. Someone advised him to paint what he loved most.

He wanted to present stereotypes from everyday life—such as comic strips, advertising, fast food, and stars from the world of glamour—as art. “Everything is beautiful,” Warhol said, “even car accidents, the electric chair, or Marilyn Monroe after her death.”

After a period of working in a painterly style, he switched to silkscreen printing, which he was the first international artist to popularize. This also made mass production possible. He not only worked in series; he also thought serially. His motto was “quantity is quality.”

Warhol was the first artist who did not consider a personal style to be important. By choosing subjects from consumer society and processing them in an emotionless way, Warhol was the purest artist on the Pop Art scene. The media, in particular, were a source of inspiration for Warhol. “I’m married to my television,” he once said. Television and gossip magazines provided a steady stream of stars and glamour. Warhol was fascinated by the cult of celebrity.

In 1963, he founded The Factory, his famous studio. It was a fully equipped studio where screen printing, filming, music-making, and photography took place nonstop. As his career progressed, Warhol himself became a work of art. The tabloid press never left him alone for a moment, and he relished it. As long as it was entertaining, made an impression, and—above all—brought in money.

The prices of his artworks reached astronomical heights. He dominated the art world not only in painting but also in film, music, magazines, and cable television. Among other things, he founded the band The Velvet Underground. They rehearsed at his Factory. Andy Warhol became a brand. He was a personality, the embodiment of the American dream.