Andy Warhol's birthday
Early life
Andy Warhol was born August 6th, 1928, and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His work started to become popular in the early 1950s when he started to receive international recognition for his artistic passion. During the 1960s, he was also part of an experimental rock band, known as The Velvet Underground.
The movement and passion
During his time, Andy was a film director, producer, and leading figure in the pop art movement. He is mostly known for his artwork which has a relationship between artistic expression and the celebrity culture that flourished in the 1960s. His artwork media includes the likes of silk screening, photography, painting, sculptures, and film. Many know Andy for his most popular paintings, which include Campbell’s Soup Cans, and the multicolored Marylin Diptych.
A dive into his personal life
Warhol was known for his homosexuality, which influenced many of his works. It was in the 1980s that he told an interviewer that he had never been in a relationship, however, previous lovers shared with the world that this probably was not true.
As well as being an artist, Warhol was also known for helping out in homeless shelters throughout New York. He considered himself a kind person and liked to help those in need during the busier times of the year.
The huge art collection
Being heavily involved in the world of art, Warhol was also an avid collector of many works from other artists, and random ephemera including Coca-Cola memorabilia, unpaid invoices, old stamps, cookie jars, and other strange things. His collection filled his four-story townhouse in New York as well as several external storage units. In fact, people did not realize the true extent of his collection until after he died, and 641 boxes were submitted to the Andy Warhol Museum where a lot of these items are now showcased.
His passing
Andy passed away at the age of 58 due to a heart condition. However, his legacy still stands and it is important to remember and celebrate his movements and achievements throughout his career and personal life.
When Andy passed away, his legacy was not left to his family members. Instead, he wanted to ensure that it would go into creating a foundation dedicated to the advancement of the visual arts. His collections totaled more than 20 million U.S. dollars, and went towards this foundation to help innovate artistic expression and influence the creative process of the future.
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