Artist Spotlight: Andy Warhol

    Where to begin with one of the most well-known artists of the latter half of the twentieth century? Born in Pittsburgh, Andrew Warhola was born to second-generation Slovak immigrants and raised in the Byzantine Catholic faith. Due to frequent childhood illnesses, he was confined to his bed most of the time and became a social outcast, but used this time to listen to the radio and draw pictures. 

   Originally, Warhol intended to be an art teacher, but that fell by the wayside once he enrolled in college and studied commercial art instead. After being involved with dance programs and editing the school art magazine while in college, he moved to NYC and became an illustrator. 

    Warhol's rise to fame began in the 1950's, when he began to exhibit his work in galleries in New York and LA, with the LA exhibition signifying the emergence of pop art on the West Coast. In the 1960's, he painted some of his most famous works, mostly popular American icons ranging from Campbell's soup cans to Coca Cola to Marilyn Monroe. As his pop-art influence began to gain more ground, he surrounded himself with a group of other artists and musicians (including Edie Sedgwick, Ultra Violet, and David Bowie) and opened his studio, known as "The Factory". Collaboration became an important part of his career, especially when he completed his works as an advertisement illustrator. With "The Factory", Warhol produced dozens of films, sculptural pieces, paintings, silkscreens, and illustrations. On the personal side, Warhol was consistently unique for the time as he was not only Catholic, but also homosexual. Although he produced many male nudes that were criticized, he also volunteered at homeless shelters, went to church regularly, and produced several religious works. 

   The 1970's saw a quieter time in Warhol's career, with his work becoming more entrepreneur-based. He founded the NY Academy of Art in 1979 with his friend Stuart Pivar. Warhol continued to socialize and grow his ever-expanding group of eccentric bohemian friends until his death in 1987. In keeping with his legacy, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts was established. Since leaving this realm, Warhol has continued to remain a major pioneer of the pop-art movement, and he has been portrayed in several movies and documentaries. 

Sources: 

http://www.warhola.com/biography.html

http://warholfoundation.org/legacy/biography.html

http://www.economist.com/node/14941229