Andy Warhole (real name Andrew Warhol; 1928-1987) is an American artist, producer, designer, writer, magazine publisher and director. An iconic figure in the history of the pop art movement and contemporary art in general. The founder of the ideology "homo universale", the creator of works close to "commercial pop art".
There are many interesting facts in the biography of Andy Warhol, which we will tell about in this article.
So, before you is a short biography of Andy Warhol.
Biography of Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol was born on August 6, 1928 in the American Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). He grew up in a simple family of Slovak immigrants.
His father, Andrei, mined coal in the mine, and his mother, Julia, worked as a cleaner. Andy had the fourth child of his parents.
Childhood and youth
Andy Warhol was raised in a devout family, whose members were Greek Catholics. From an early age, the boy visited the temple almost every day, where he prayed to God.
When Andy was in third grade, he contracted Sydenham's chorea, in which a person has involuntary muscle contractions. As a result, from a cheerful and mischievous child, he instantly turned into a martyr, bedridden for many years.
Due to his health condition, Warhol was practically unable to attend school, becoming a real outcast in the class. This led to the fact that he turned into a very vulnerable and impressionable boy. In addition, he developed a panic fear at the sight of hospitals and doctors, which he remained until the end of his life.
In those years of his biography, when Andy was forced to lie in bed, he became interested in the visual arts. He cut out photographs of famous artists from newspapers, after which he made collages. According to him, it was this hobby that aroused his interest in art and developed an artistic taste.
When Warhol was still a teenager, he lost his father, who tragically died in the mine. Having received a certificate, he entered the Carnegie Institute of Technology, deciding to connect his life with the work of an illustrator.
Carier start
After graduating from the institute in 1949, Andy Warhol went to New York, where he was engaged in window dressing, and also drew postcards and posters. He later began collaborating with several reputable publications, including Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, serving as an illustrator.
Warhol's first creative success came after he designed an advertisement for the shoe factory “I. Miller ". He depicted shoes on the poster, decorating his sketch with blots. For his work, he received a good fee, as well as many offers from well-known companies.
In 1962 Andy organized his first exhibition, which brought him great popularity. His business was going so well that he was even able to buy a house in Manhattan.
Having become a wealthy man, Andy Warhol was able to do what he loved - drawing. An interesting fact is that he was one of the first to use screen printing. Thus, he was able to quickly multiply his canvases.
Using matrices, Warhol created his most famous collages with images of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Lenin and John F. Kennedy, which later became symbols of pop art.
Creation
In 1960 Andy worked on the design of Coca-Cola cans. Then he became interested in graphics, depicting banknotes on canvases. At the same time, the stage of "cans" began, which he painted using silk-screen printing.
Warhol has been recognized as one of the most talented pop artists in history. His work was commented on in different ways: some called him a satirist, others a master in denouncing the everyday life of Americans, and still others treated his work as a successful commercial project.
It is worth noting that Andy Warhol was an excellent master of outrageousness and was distinguished by extravagance. Portraits of artists and politicians of world importance were ordered from him.
The house in Manhattan, where the artist lived, Andy called "The Factory". Here he printed pictures, made films and often arranged creative evenings, where the entire elite gathered. He was called not only the king of pop art, but also a key representative of modern conceptual art.
Today Warhol tops the list of best-selling artists. As of 2013, the total value of the American's works sold at auctions exceeded $ 427 million! At the same time, a record was set - $ 105.4 million for the Silver Car Crash, created in 1963.
Assassination attempt
In the summer of 1968, a feminist named Valerie Solanas, who starred in one of Warhol's films, shot him three times in the stomach. Then the girl turned to the policeman, informing him of her crime.
After severe injuries, the king of pop art was miraculously saved. He suffered clinical death and a complex operation, and the consequences of this tragedy pursued him until his death.
Warhol refused to sue the feminist, which is why Valerie received only 3 years in prison, along with compulsory treatment in a mental hospital. Andy was forced to wear a special corset for more than a year, as all his internal organs were damaged.
After that, the artist developed an even greater fear of doctors and medical institutions. This was reflected not only in his psyche, but also in his work. In his canvases, he often depicted electric chairs, disasters, suicides and other things.
Personal life
For a very long time, Warhol was credited with an affair with his muse and girlfriend, model Edie Sedgwick. They loved to relax together, dressed the same and wore the same hairstyle.
Nevertheless, Andy was an open homosexual, which often manifested itself in his work. His lovers at various times were Billy Name, John Giorno, Jed Johnson and John Gould. However, it is difficult to name the exact number of the artist's partners.
Death
Andy Warhol died on February 22, 1987 at the age of 58. He died in Manhattan Hospital, where his gallbladder was removed. The official cause of death of the artist is cardiac arrest.
His relatives have sued the hospital, accusing the staff of inappropriate care. The conflict was immediately settled out of court, and the Warhol family received monetary compensation. It is worth noting that the doctors were confident that he would survive the operation.
However, a reassessment of the case, 30 years after Andy's death, showed that in reality the operation was more risky than it initially seemed. The experts took into account his age, gallbladder problems, and his previous gunshot wounds.
Photo by Andy Warhol
