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Andy Warhol Facts

Andy Warhol Facts
Andy Warhol was one of the most popular artists during the Pop Art movement, known for his commercial art such as his painting of "Campbell's Soup Cans" (1962). He was born Andrew Warhola on August 6th, 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Ondre Warhola, a construction worker, and Julia Warhola, an embroiderer. As a young child Andy Warhol developed a nervous system disease that made him fear doctors and hospitals. He graduated from high school in 1945, and although he had planned to be an art teacher, he attended Carnegie Institute of Technology for commercial art. In 1949 Andy moved to NYC and started working as a magazine illustrator and ad man. In the early 1950s Andy's work began to gain attention as art.
Interesting Andy Warhol Facts:
Once living in New York City and after gaining popularity for his work Andy Warhol was hired to design album covers for RCA.
In the late 1950s Andy Warhol began to focus on painting and started to create pop art. This form of art focused on images of commercial goods.
In 1962 Andy Warhol exhibited one of his most famous works - the "Campbell's Soup Cans".
Some of Andy Warhol paintings included the images of Coca-Cola bottles, hamburgers, 100 Dollar Bills and vacuum cleaners.
Andy Warhol exhibitions were held at many galleries including Hugo Gallery, Bodley Gallery, Ferus Gallery, Stable Gallery, among many others.
In the 1960s Andy Warhol painted iconic subjects including electric chairs, mushroom clouds, and celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, and Muhammad Ali.
Andy Warhol was very diverse in his work. He was a painter, an author, a filmmaker, and a commercial artist.
In 1964 Andy Warhol opened his studio that he called "The Factory", in New York City. The Factory became a common hot spot for parties attended by celebrities and socialites and musicians.
Musician Lou Reed wrote the song "Walk on the Wild Side" about the people that he met at Andy Warhol's art studio The Factory.
Andy Warhol managed Lou Reed's band called The Velvet Underground.
Andy Warhol was often seen at nightclubs in New York City such as Studio 54, and Max's Kansas City.
Andy Warhol published a book in 1967 titled Andy Warhol's Index.
In 1968 Andy Warhol was shot and almost killed by a writer named Valerie Solanis after Warhol refused to use a script she had written. She had appeared in one of Andy Warhol's films titled I, a Man.
In 2008 Andy Warhol's painting "Eight Elvises" sold for $100 million. This made it one of the most valuable paintings in history.
In the 1980s Andy Warhol expanded from film to television and hosted Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes on MTV and Andy Warhol's TV.
On February 22, 1987 Andy Warhol died in a hospital in New York City after gallbladder surgery. Although he had been doing well after the operation he developed an arrhythmia and died in his sleep. He was 58 years old.
The Andy Warhol Museum is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It houses many of Warhol's personal materials and source material for his art, his screen tests, and thousands of pieces of his work.


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