Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American artist and impresario whose work spanned various media, including painting, filmmaking, photography, sculpture, and performance art. A leading figure in the pop art movement, his works explore the relationship between art, advertising, mass media, and celebrity culture that flourished in the 1960s. Some of his best-known works include the silkscreen paintings ''Campbell's Soup Cans'' (1962), ''Marilyn Diptych'' (1962), ''Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)'' (1963), and ''Eight Elvises'' (1963). He also directed influential films such as ''Chelsea Girls'' (1966) and ''Blue Movie'' (1969); the latter is credited with jumpstarting the "Golden Age of Porn". Warhol is generally considered among the most important American artists of the second half of the 20th century. * * * |group=n}}

Born and raised in Pittsburgh in a family of Rusyn immigrants, Warhol initially pursued a successful career as a commercial illustrator in the 1950s. After exhibiting his work in art galleries, he began to receive recognition as an influential and controversial artist in the 1960s. His New York studio, The Factory, became a well-known gathering place that brought together distinguished intellectuals, drag queens, playwrights, bohemian street people, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy patrons. He directed and produced several underground films starring a collection of personalities known as Warhol superstars, and is credited with inspiring the widely used expression "15 minutes of fame." He also briefly served as manager and producer of the influential rock band the Velvet Underground, who performed at Warhol events such as his ''Exploding Plastic Inevitable'' multimedia performances (1966–67). Warhol expressed his queer identity through many of his works at a time when homosexuality was actively suppressed in the United States.

After surviving an assassination attempt by radical feminist Valerie Solanas in June 1968, Warhol focused on transforming The Factory into a business enterprise. He founded ''Interview'' magazine and authored numerous books, including ''The Philosophy of Andy Warhol'' (1975) and ''Popism'' (1980). He also hosted the television series ''Fashion'' (1979–80), ''Andy Warhol's TV'' (1980–83), and ''Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes'' (1985–87). Warhol died of cardiac arrhythmia, aged 58, after gallbladder surgery in February 1987.

Warhol has been described as the "bellwether of the art market", with several of his works ranking among the most expensive paintings ever sold. In 2013, ''Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)'' (1963) sold for $105 million, setting a record for the artist. In 2022, ''Shot Sage Blue Marilyn'' (1964) sold for $195 million, which is the highest price paid at auction for a work by an American artist. Warhol has been the subject of numerous retrospective exhibitions, books, and documentary films. The Andy Warhol Museum in his native city of Pittsburgh, which holds an extensive permanent collection of art and archives, is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to a single artist. Provided by Wikipedia