Andy Warhol Essay -- Biography

Hailed as the founding father of the Pop Art movement in the previous(a) 1950s and early 1960s, Andy Warhol, through his endeavors, brought forward societys infantile fixation with mass culture and allowed it to find the subject of his art. He produced works that defied and challenged the popular notion of what art should be by disputing the traditional conventions pertaining to the fantasticness, authenticity, and authorship of art (Faerna 28). However, it is an injustice to say that Warhols goals in the beginning included the desire to create such a ground-breaking and salient sprint of American art or to entertain the public by do his own artistic contributions. Rather, Andy Warhols interests were more entwined in his own self-interest and greed. Although a fraction of Andy Warhols inspiration resided in his ambition to create a unique and exotic style of American art, his main motivation was purely secular and involved acquiring large sums of money and promotion to fuel his obsession with wealth and fame. Andy Warhols experiences throughout his difficult and poverty-stricken early life ar one among many possible explanations for Warhols addiction to materialism later on in his life. Born on August 6, 1928 into the slums of Pittsburgh, Andy Warhol was the fourth child of labor movement Slovakian immigrant parents who barely spoke English. As a child, Warhol developed chorea, an infirmity which causes abnormal involuntary movements. Consequently, this contributed to his isolation as a child as he was often bed-ridden and thus became an outcast at school (Gale American Decades). During his early years, he also developed a fascination for fame and knowledge as he would constantly amass pictures of celebrities and movie sta... ...sted in the chemic processes that went into forming Oxidation Painting rather, he was more concerned with converting these bodily fluids into something precious and valuable. Oxidation Painting was an attempt by W arhol to project his persona into the media in order to garner publicity and attention. Furthermore, Oxidation Painting remains as Warhols most economically valuable work. Now, twenty-three years after Warhols death, his face and art are on T-shirts, iPods, blue jeans, sunglasses, Christmas cards, handbags, skateboards and wallpaper. His spirit and popularity are both endless and his works of art continue to pay back enormous sums of money. Even with his death, Warhols name continues to be met with both publicity and infamy. Ultimately, Andy Warhols legacy lies with his outlandish and exotic style of art and his disposition for materialism and wealth.