WHO IS ANDY WARHOL?

Andy Warhol is one of the most famous artists, ever. From his soup to his hair, he is an art legend

Andy Warhol
Self-Portrait 1986 
Tate
© 2018 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London

Andy Warhol (born Andrew Warhola 6 August 1928 – 22 February 1987) was part of the pop art movement. He was famous for exploring popular culture in his work, using brands like Coca Cola and Campbell's Soup (which was one of his favourite things to eat).

What exactly is pop art? Find out in this short film....

Warhol liked to use bright colours and silk screening techniques to mass-produce artworks based on photographs of celebrities, like this famous image of Marilyn Monroe.

Andy Warhol
Marilyn Diptych 1962 
Tate
© 2018 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London

Screenprinting is a printing process that can create lots of artworks that look the same. The design is separated out into individual colours and the position of each colour is marked out by a stencil on a screen. The screen is a frame of wood with a fine mesh stretched over it. The different coloured inks are pushed through each stencil one at a time and the colours build up to form a picture. Sometimes Warhol would switch colours around and present a group of prints with contrasting colours together.

He didn't just do prints though, he made films, digital artwork, paintings and sculptures.

Warhol's studio was called The Factory, which was a reference to the mass-produced nature of his artworks. He saw art as a product, the same as the clothes you wear and the food you eat. He had a very particular personal style. He had a shock of white hair and was usually seen wearing a lot of black, leather jackets and glasses or sunglasses.

Andy Warhol
Self-Portrait with Fright Wig 1986 
Tate / National Galleries of Scotland
© 2018 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London

He loved Los Angeles, beauty and plastic, things that were modern and changed quickly. If he was alive now, what do you think would inspire him?

Andy Warhol
Black Bean 1968 
Tate
© 2018 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London

Andy Warhol
Mickey Mouse 1982 
Tate / National Galleries of Scotland
© 2018 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London

Andy Warhol
Skulls 1976 
Tate / National Galleries of Scotland
© 2018 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London

Andy Warhol
Untitled (Beauty Products) 1960 
Tate
© 2018 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York and DACS, London