Andy Warhol was before MTV and American Idol in which he includes the American 60’s famous culture and Celebrities in his Pop art work from the Campbell’s soup until Marilyn Monroe and Liz Taylor.
Pop Art is one of the movements that were divided into two parts: British Pop Art and American Pop Art. American Pop Art which is also called (Noe-Dada) which started in mid of 50's-20th century.( Madoff, 1997, pp: xiii- xvii).
During this period of time, America was seen as the most accelerated country in mostly all the categories Music; such as: Elvis Presley, Art such as: Pop Art Movement, Fashion, Education, Hollywood Celebrities; such as: Marilyn Monroe.
Andy Warhol said a quote regarding America period during 60's:
"During the 60's, I think, people forgot what emotions were supposed to be. And I don't think they've ever remembered. I think that once you see emotions from a certain angle you can never think of them as real again. That's what more or less has happened to me."(Ratcliff, p:1983, p: 107)
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figure (1)
Marilyn Monroe Actress
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figure (2)
Famous Singer Elvis Presley
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Moreover, the technology was more introduced by the television; also the widely published of magazines and news paper; in which they helps a lots in distributing Warhol’s art work.
As we all know, one of the most famous American Pop Artist was Andy Warhol. Also he was not just an Artist in drawing but also a Film Director and a sculpture artist.
Andy Warhol became a famous artist because he breaks down the routine of Abstract Expressionism. Also he used a special style in his art work by the helps of the new art techniques; also the way of getting inspiration from the surrounding. Andy chooses a creative technique and easy at the same time; such as: silk screen which gave his art work more aesthetic. Moreover, also taking some photos from the magazines and news paper; using it in his silkscreen, printing and placing them on the canvases.
The social/ political events related to the artist's work
This figure was token from:
Andy Warhol believes that an individual person can interact and get affected from the surrounding society around him and vise verse such as: Campbell’s Soup Cans, and Coca-ColaBottles.
figure (3)
Video(1)
Campbell Soup Cans Exhibition
Andy Warhol, 210-Coca-Cola Bottles, 1962.
Though each of these Coke bottles created
from the same silkscreens, each is differently
inked. As a result the presumably identical
products are all individualize; some even
appear empty.
Moreover,Warhol was also
a commercial artist who made icon and identity for America (Joselit,
2002, p: 73). Warhol wrote ‘Buying is much more American than thinking’.
This statement implies how Warhol was proud in his work advertising for America
(Tretiack 1997,p: 9).
He was a master at
manipulating in the main components of the picture, distorting, and turning
things up side down-silk screen prints, reproductions, fake posters rips-offs
(Tretiack, 1997,p: 8).
Video (2)
This video talks about the technique that
Warhol's use it to produce Campbell's
Soup Cans and other Pop art work .
In the beginning Andy Warhol was exploring Plastic
Inevitable (Joselit 2002, p: 73) by drawing Campbell’s Soup Cans which was
done in 1962; maybe a question is going to be asked: “What is the purpose
behind Campbell’s Soup?”
This question was asked
by Gene Swenson- G.S, Art News (1963), in an interview with Andy Warhol-A.W.
"G.S: Why did you start painting Soup Cans?
A.W: Because I used to drink it. I used to have the same lunch every day, for twenty years, I guess, the same thing over and over again. Someone said my life has dominated me; I liked that idea."
Warhol’s answer implies
or means that Warhol was socialize person in which he depended on his belief.
Also
Warhol’s stated: “that the paintings represented nothing. No intent,
no concept and no meaning” (Arsenov).
The cans art work represented the new knowledge and deep respect of Andy Warhol toward the traditional art generation.
This art work was considered a new step in Andy's life because he broke down the routine of most previous and earlier art which was contained of still-life painting, natural site, and Abstract Expressionism (by the staff of Andy Warhol Museum, 2004,p: 39).
Campbell's Soup Cans paint gave Andy new field to explore advertising world and iconography; this red-and-white color play a major role in the cultural identity of America. (by the staff of Andy Warhol Museum, 2004,p: 39)
Although Campbell's Soup Noodles was produced in the late of nine-teeth century and become popular in the twentieth century because by the help of Andy Warhol's art.(by the staff of Andy Warhol Museum, 2004,p: 38)
Moreover, Andy didn’t publishes only one drawing for Campbell’s Soup, but he re-publishes in the same year 1962 Big Torn Campbell’s Soup Can (Pepper Pot).Campbell's Soup Can was also re-published again in other years later; eg: The Art 1st appeared in 1961-63, then again Warhol print out his portfolio which was published in 1968 and another one in 1969. Finally the last appearance for Campbell's card box was in 1985. (by the staff of Andy Warhol Museum, 2004,p: 43)
The Torn Campbell’s Soup Can (Pepper Pot) was a point or a message behind it. That because there was a lots of order on Campbell's Soup products, the products especially label paper used to reached the super market selves torn out. Campbell's Soup was a huge image about American Family.(Joselit, 2002, pp:73-74).
figure (5)
Andy Warhol. Big Torn Campbell's Soup Can
(Pepper Pot), 1962. Synthetic polymer paint
on canvas, seventy-one and three-quarter x
fifty-one and three quarter inches.
Because of the huge and famous distribution of Andy Warhol's Art work about Campbell's Soup Can, even it appeared in the Fashion field world wide.(Indiana, G. 2010, P:83).
These hand made shoes were made especially for Andy Warhol.
Now the second part of this issue is about 210-Coca-Cola Art work of Andy Warhol. This piece of art work was also world wide because of the criticized from a lots of journalist and politics; especially when Warhol says in The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again):
"What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you can know that the president drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too. A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same and all the Cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it."
figure (7)
Green Coca-Cola Bottles
Moreover, Warhol played randomly in a fundamental america products which was daily been advertised on the Television. According to the political, Coke is not any drink to describe and draw it randomly. Andy should had respected the Coke company because it's more a national identity than any normal company.(Joselit, D. 2003, pp: 75-76)
While regarding the technique of the coca-cola image was build things in reverse. first Warhol would color the back ground alone and the shape here in figure (7) the Coke Bottles another color Green, this all happen before the last technique which silk screening. (Shanes.E, 2009, p:91).
Theories within the feminist critical framework
figure (8)
Andy Warhol didn't only depend from one source of inspiration.
He also get inspired from famous actress called: Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was dead in 5th of August in 1962 (Tretiack, 1997, p:10) at 36 years old (Fallon, 2011, p:46) in which this news shocked whole america and the world also;probably Monroe was died from an overdose of kind of sleeping pills because Monroe as we all know was a famous Hollywood Celebrity (Tretiack, 1997, p:10), and a beauty icon (Fallon, 2011, p:47).
Monroe also is consider idealistic women beauty the past and the future. So that's why Marilyn Monroe was and still nickname the sex symbol (Tretiack, 2008, p: 98)
A lots of Pop Artist of 20th century were inspired from Marilyn Monroe beauty especially Andy Warhol. Since Warhol was a child Warhol was adored and loved with famous movie star and actors such as: Troy Donahue and Warren Beatty (Fallon, 2011, p: 46). So that's why after Monroe death Warhol done so many art work , but the first art work was called: Golden Marilyn Monroe. As shown in the figure (9) below:
Figure (9)
Golden Marilyn Monroe
Warhol was inspired from the medieval religious which made Golden Marilyn Monroe in the 1962, in which the golden background indicates a holy dimension that turns American star into a model of faith, and therefore of culture (Celant, 2008, p:62)
Video (3)
Describing Golden Marilyn art work.
But on the other hands some books say that Turiqoise Marilyn was the 1st art work of Warhol's Marilyn's Collection (Fallon, 2011, p:47). But the true was that Andy Warhol took an iconic photograph of Marilyn Monroe from a movie in 1953: Niagara (Fallon, 2011, p:46).
Warhol's Marilyn's Collection Art Work, seems to make the Actress to still alive but although in reality she's dead this because Warhol choose a picture that too close to Marilyn's face and the mysterious smile (Mattick, 1998, p: 977) Off all the Marilyn's work of Warhol 1962 Exhibition and especially: Gold Marilyn, which was the most famous one among the whole collection. Regarding the technique Andy said in The Warhol's 60's:
" In August '62 I started doing silk screens.The rubber-stamp method I'd been using to repeat images suddenly seemed too homemade; I wanted something stronger that gave more of an assembly-line effect. With the silk-screening, you pick a photograph, below it up, transfer it in glue onto silk, and then roll ink across it so the ink goes through the silk but not through the glue. That way you get the same image, slightly different each time. It was all so simple- quick and chancy. I was thrilled with it. My first experiments with screens were heads of Troy Donahue and Warren Beatty, and then when Marilyn Monroe happened to die that month, I got the idea to make screens of her beautiful face- the first Marilyns." (Celant, 2008, p:62).First of All, the Golden background was established by such Ad Reinhardt. Second Warhol treated the picture of Marilyn Monroe face in a high care when he change it drawing by silkscreen; when we (viewer) see Marilyn Monroe on Media Television it looks different than on Warhol's art work this because Warhol exaggerated Monroe and make her travesty by the additional make up, hairdressing, a cluster of flat, grayish blocks of color that do not correspond very good to the detail on her face. But still the viewer can recognized more quickly in Warhol's art than on the Media. (Ratcliff, 1983, p:29), look at the figure (10) below:
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Image size:
317 × 159
Marilyn Monroe transform from picture to
silkscreen technique and by adding some colors
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Since Warhol was so addicted to Monroe beauty he also reproduced an art work called Marilyn Monroe's Lips in the same year of Golden Marilyn Monroe 1962 ; which he took Monroe's Lips and made them as an expressive icon and repeated for eighty-four times in two panels. Now Marilyn's Lips can't be identified weather it was a good or bad smile, because it's really difficult to indicate from a picture it self only.(Paige Baty, S, 1995, pp: 69- 70)
Andy Warhol said in THE Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again):
"People look the most kissable when they're not wearing makeup. Marilyn's lips weren't kissable, but they were very photographable" (by the staff of the Andy Warhol Museum,2004,p: 195)
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figure (12)
Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe's Lips 1962
38 inches x 20 inches
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- Conclusion:
Andy Warhol famous art works was related to the daily necessary
product in the 60’s period and from the famous news, events and celebrities;
for example: Campbell’s Soup series, Coca-Cola, Marilyn Monroe and then
translating them into famous and popularized icons and identities.
- Joselit, D. (2002). Yippie Pop: Abbie Hoffman, Andy Warhol, and Sixties Media Politics. The MIT Press and Grey Room, Inc. Yippie Pop: Abbie Hoffman, Andy Warhol, and Sixties Media Politics. (pp: 62-79).
- Arsenov, V. (2010). Andy Warhol's Famous Marilyn Monroe Painting-Meaning. @Enzinarticles
http://ezinearticles.com/?Andy-Warhols-Famous-Marilyn-Monroe-Painting---Meaning&id=5077029
- Tretiack, P. (1997). Universe of Art: Andy Warhol. New Yrok: The Vendome Press.
- By the Staff of the Andy Warhol Museum. (2004). Andy Warhol 365 Takes. New York: 100 Fifth Avenue.
- Indiana,G. (2010) Andy Warhol and the can that sold the world. New York: 387 Park Avenue South.
- Joselit, D. (2003). American Art Since 1945. New York: 500 Fifth Avenue.
- Shanes,E. (2009). Pop Art.New York: Park stone International.
- Mattick, Paul. (1998). The Andy Warhol of Philosophy and The Philosophy of Andy Warhol. Critical Inquiry, Vol 24. (pp: 965- 987)
-Redcliff Carter.(1983). Warhol, New York
- Fallon, M (2011), How to Analyze the Work of Andy Warhol, United States of America.
- Celant, G (2008), Super Warhol, Italy.
- Paige Baty, S, (1995), American Monroe-the making of a body politic, United States of America
