Tailgate Featured Artist: Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol 1928-1987
For those of you who don’t already know, Andy Warhol is one of my favourite artists of all time. Sure, he was a bit of a weirdo…but aren’t we all weirdos in some way or another? As a pop artist, I love how he made the mundane beautiful. His works were often a parody of American popular culture. His most famous designs include the Campbell’s Soup Cans (I’m sure you’ve seen some of these at some point!). He used a variety of mediums including film, painting, photography, etc., but his most notable technique was photographic silk screening. He used this method to create numerous copies of his designs in a variety of colours. Even if you don’t like the content of the work, Warhol’s balance, repetition and harmony in his work will still be appealing to the eye.
Warhol was born and raised in Pittsburgh and attended Carnegie Institute of Technology. Upon graduation, he moved to New York City where he formed his style and a successful career. He was ingrained in the New York City nightlife and fashion scene in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Warhol was often associated with Studio 54 and had an immense fascination and relationship with celebrity.
Although not involved or notably knowledgeable about sports, he did complete a series of amazing athlete pieces. He painted Wayne Gretzky in 1983 when Gretzky was crossing over from just an athlete to an entertainer with the Edmonton Oilers.
© Warhol, Andy. Wayne Gretzky. 1984. Revolver Gallery.
“Pete Rose 360B” was created in 1985, the same year Rose broke the all-time hits record. Warhol created the Rose piece to replicate a baseball card.
© Warhol, Andy. Pete Rose. 1985. Smithsonian Institute.
These are just a few of the athletes Warhol painted. Others include Muhammad Ali, Pele, OJ Simpson, Dorothy Hamill, Chris Evert, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Seaver, et al.
© Warhol, Andy. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 1978. Basketball Hall of Fame.
© Warhol, Andy. Tom Seaver. 1977. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
If you'd like to learn more about Warhol's athlete series and how it came about, please visit this online article "When Andy Warhol Met Kareem". To learn more about Andy Warhol's life and work, please check out The Andy Warhol Museum.
Until next time - Robyn + Wrigley
References:
(n.d.). Andy Warhol's Life. The Warhol Museum. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.warhol.org/andy-warhols-life/
(2023, March 8). Andy Warhol. Britannica. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andy-Warhol
Bilodeau, L. (2019, April 8). GRETZKY AND WARHOL: WHAT LED TO THE CREATION OF THE GREAT ONE’S MOST FAMOUS PORTRAIT? Canadian Museum of History. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/gretzky-and-warhol-what-led-to-the-creation-of-the-great-ones-most-famous-portrait/
(2018, December 12). When Andy Warhol and Wayne Gretzky Teamed Up For A Portrait. CBC. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/archives/when-andy-warhol-and-wayne-gretzky-teamed-up-for-a-portrait-1.4941063
(2014, January 31). Andy Warhol: The Athletes. San Antonio Museum of Art. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.samuseum.org/artwork/exhibition/andy-warhol-the-athletes/
