Andy Warhol (6.8.1928 – 22.11.1987) was an American painter, photographer, filmmaker and producer. He is considered co-founder of Pop Art and is one of the outstanding artists of this genre. In his work, he dealt with the aesthetics of advertising and celebrity culture, among other things. During his lifetime Andy Warhol achieved international prominence even outside the art world.

ADVERTISING IMAGES OF CONSUMER CULTURE

In the 1950s, Warhol first worked as a decorator and graphic designer. These experiences had a significant influence on his later creative style. In his artistic work, he concentrated on motifs of consumer culture and the staging of celebrities in the mass media. One of his best-known works is the series of Campbell’s Soup Cans from 1962.

THE FACTORY

Although Andy Warhol had already gained some recognition as a draughtsman, he soon moved on to creating his works of art using the poster and advertising technique of screen printing. These serially produced images were symbolically created in his New York Factory and quickly became his unmistakable trademark. In addition, The Factory became during the 1960s the creative center of New York, where artists, musicians, actors, and social outcasts came together and indulged in creative experimentation.

WARHOL`S LEGACY

With his work, Andy Warhol questions the difference between original and copy, blurring the boundaries between high culture and mass culture. In his work, he dealt with phenomena such as fame, consumerism and the construction of identity in the mass media. Warhol was a provocateur who repeatedly questioned the traditional conception of art and, through eccentric self-dramatization, declared himself a work of art. His influence on art and culture remains unbroken to this day.