Andy Warhol birth anniversary.  August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987.

He was one of the most successful commercial artists of the 1950s.  He began the 1960s  on the edge, avante-gard and controversial.   His work blurred the conceptual and aesthetic lines dividing high art from pop culture.  By the 1970s he was heavily sought out as both an artist and celebrity.

Andy Warhol cultivated a long line of extremely wealthy patrons, from Studio 54 celebs to the Shah of Iran.  His studio,  The Factory,  was an infamous hang out that mixed together “distinguished” intellectuals, drag queens, playwrights, Bohemian street people, Hollywood celebrities, and the more adventurous wealthy patrons.

“1961, he debuted the concept of “pop art” — paintings that focused on mass-produced commercial goods. In 1962, he exhibited the now-iconic paintings of Campbell’s soup cans. These small canvas works of everyday consumer products created a major stir in the art world, bringing both Warhol and pop art into the national spotlight for the first time. ” – bio

Must See:

• The Time Web for Andy Warhol.  Interactive, cool and very interesting!!
• The Warhol The most comprehensive single-artist museum in the world.

Andy’s moment of pro wrestling fame

Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol Demystify Their Pop Art in Vintage 1966 Film