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=​​//​//Andy Warhol = //"Don't pay attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches." - Andy Warhol //

Born Andrew Warhola, the contemporary artist known for his bold printmaking, films, and his fascination with ordinary objects, was known as Andy Warhol. A Pittsburg, Pennsylvania native, Andy Warhol was born 1928 to working-class Slovakian immigrants.

Warhol credits chorea for the development of his artistic insight. In third grade, Warhol developed the nervous system disease, which caused involuntary movements of the extremities. He became a hypochondriac, not wanting to go near hospitals or doctors. In turn with being an ill child, Warhol became an outcast among his peers. Though he built strong ties with his mother, he was often confined to a bed. It was here that Warhol drew pictures, collected photographs of movie stars, and listened to the radio.

Warhol debuted as a pop artist on July 9, 1962 in the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles. It was during this era that Warhol began to depict iconic American objects. Warhol tackled imagery dealing with celebrities, common household goods and brand name items. Warhol also used Coca-cola bottles and brillo pad boxesas subject matter for his paintings. Warhol said this in regards to his art relating to Coca-cola soda bottles: //"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 know that the President drinks Coca Cola, Liz Taylor drinks Coca Cola, and just think, you can drink Coca Cola, 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."// Warhol's art continued throughout the seventies and early eighties, when he then died in 1982. Andy Warhol died in New York City from surgery complications after a routine gallbladder procedure. Warhol dabbled in every medium and media imaginable. His pop-art continues to be a hit throughout modern day. == ==

__The Velvet Underground __ //" I'm afraid that if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all of its meaning." //  The piece at first glance, and at one level is just a banana. It is objective, and simple to understand. The work was silk-screened, and was a multiple layer process. The piece is very flat. It is realistic, but conveys flat space. The lines move through the piece, and like most of Warhol’s work, color is what holds the most importance. As with all of Andy Warhol’s works, the meaning is social. Warhol wanted to get a reaction from his critics and from society as a whole. By taking something as innocent and simple as a banana, and turning it into something sexual, revolutionary, and mass produced, Warhol made a statement. No viewer expected what they got, and that is what Warhol was planning upon. I think the meaning can be construed numerous ways. Some may consider it inappropriate and vulgar, but I think of it differently. I feel that this piece of art is a statement for the masses. In our society, sex is is thought of as sinful, and something many may be scared of. But as with many things, ugly and scary objects are often concealed by things that are more attractive or socially accepted. Nasty, vulgar, painful things are easily disguised. Also, one may not see it as nasty, vulgar, and painful, and if so, why disguise it? Has our culture forced us into a particular frame of mind where sexuality is no longer okay? Andy Warhol pushed the limits of society. Hs fascination with popular culture and with our everyday surroundings changed the worlds outlook on everything from Brillo Pads to Campbells Soup. Andy Warhol's art became social commentary rather than living room wall decor. Andy Warhol left an impression on America. He is often over quoted for saying that "Everyone will have their fifteen minutes of fame", but like America, "[He was] bored with that line. I never use it anymore. My new line is "In 15 minutes everybody will be famous."




 * Sources: **

[|Bockris, Victor]  (1989). //The life and death of Andy Warhol//. New York City: [|Bantam Books]. pp. 4–5. [|ISBN] [|0-553-05708-1]. Meyer, Richard (2002). //Outlaw representation: censorship and homosexuality in twentieth-century American art//. Oxford: [|Oxford University Press]. [|ISBN] [|0-19-510760-8]. Husslein, Uwe (1990). //Pop goes art: Andy Warhol & Velvet Underground//. Wuppertal. [|OCLC] [|165575494]. [|Holden, Stephen]  (2006-09-01). [|"A Portrait of the Artist as a Visionary, a Voyeur and a Brand-Name Star"] . //The New York Times//. __ [|http://movies.nytimes.com/2006/09/01/movies/01warh.html. Retrieved 2010-04-04] __

Wikipedia contributors. "Andy Warhol." //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 23 Feb. 2010. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. Andy Warhol Diaries, Edited by Pat Hacket