Andy Warhol was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker was responsible for the visual art revolution known as "Pop Art". Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a student at the School of Fine Arts at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, he started his career as a commercial artist. It was in the early 60's when he captured the attention of Americans with his silk screened productions of iconic of classic American objects such as the dollar bill, the Coca Cola can, and the Cambell's soup can. He relied on the growing movement towards capitalism and began mass producing art images that reflected the motivations of the decade.
The underground film industry was also something that Warhol branched out into. He attracted young girls hoping to become famous that were dying to star in his movies. He also attracted social outcasts like drag queens and transvestites. Very few Warhol films ever made it to the mainstream. They were often unsuitable for audiences because they usually EXTREMELY vulgar and sexual in content. However, the Andy Warhol Screen Tests were often a right of passage for up and coming Hollywood stars.
Andy Warhol became a Pop Culture icon not only for his art, but the way he lived his life and the company he kept. He kept residence at a loft in Midtown Manhattan that was known as The Factory. Warhol was fascinated with beauty and glamour and hung out with stars like Bob Dylan, Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, Edie Sedgwick, and Truman Capote.
Some of the people that were propelled to stardom by Warhol went on to have their own cult followings. Andy Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick was the "It Girl" of the 1960's. She was considered to be the muse of the Factory. She was known for her fashion and her peculiar beauty. She also dated Bob Dylan. Even today she still has recognition in American culture. In 2006 the movie biopic Factory Girl was released in theaters starring Sienna Miller.
Jean Michel Basquiat was an artist that Andy Warhol took particular interest in. Basquiat was a graffiti artist and neo-expressionist. His style of art and the especially ambiguous messages that it often contained spark interest in the disenfranchised of the country. Jean Michel Basquiat is a leader in urban graffiti art.
In general, the American addiction to power, capitalism, and beauty were all reasons why Andy Warhol was and is still so popular. The public was fascinated by the persona that Warhol had created for himself and today his image and his art remains highly valuble and influential.
