Andy Warhol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andy Warhol
Warhol in 1980
Born	Andrew Warhola Jr. (1928-08-06)August 6, 1928 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
Died	February 22, 1987(1987-02-22) (aged 58) New York City, US
Education	Carnegie Institute of Technology (Carnegie Mellon University)
Known for	Printmaking, painting, cinema, photography
Notable work	Chelsea Girls (1966 film) Exploding Plastic Inevitable (1966 event) Campbell's Soup Cans (1962 painting) Marilyn Diptych (1962 painting)
Movement	Pop art
Signature

Andy Warhol (born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was a famous American artist. He was a main leader in the pop art movement. Pop art uses images from popular culture, like ads and comic books. Some of his most famous artworks include paintings of Campbell's Soup Cans (1962) and the Marilyn Diptych (1962).

Andy Warhol's Early Life

Warhol's childhood home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Andy Warhol was born on August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the fourth child of Ondrej and Julia Warhola. His parents came to the US from Austria-Hungary.

Young Andy Warhol (right) with his mother, Julia, and his brother, John (left), around 1930.

Andy's father came to the United States in 1914. His mother joined him in 1921. Andy's father worked in a coal mine. The family lived in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

Andy had two older brothers, Pavol and Ján. Pavol's son, James Warhola, became a well-known children's book illustrator.

When Andy was in third grade, he got a sickness called Sydenham's chorea. This disease affects the nervous system. It can cause body movements that a person cannot control. When he had to stay in bed, he loved to draw. He also listened to the radio and collected pictures of movie stars. Warhol later said this time was very important for him. It helped him develop his personality and artistic skills. When Andy was 13, his father died in an accident.

As a teenager, Warhol finished Schenley High School in 1945. He also won an award for his art and writing. After high school, he wanted to be an art teacher. But his plans changed. He decided to study commercial art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. This school is now Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Warhol earned his art degree in 1949. Later that year, he moved to New York City. There, he started his career in magazine illustration and advertising.

Andy Warhol's Artistic Journey

Warhol in New York City, in 1950.

Warhol first became successful as a commercial artist. He drew pictures for magazines and advertisements. In the late 1950s, he started showing his art in galleries. Soon, people began to see him as an important and sometimes debated artist. He helped make famous a group of people called Warhol superstars. He also helped make the saying "15 minutes of fame" popular.

In the 1960s, Warhol began making paintings of famous American things. These included dollar bills, mushroom clouds, electric chairs, and Campbell's soup cans. He also painted Coca-Cola bottles and famous people. Some of these celebrities were Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Elizabeth Taylor.

In May 1962, Time magazine wrote about Warhol. They showed his painting Big Campbell's Soup Can with Can Opener (Vegetable) (1962). This painting started his most famous theme: the Campbell's soup can. This was also Warhol's first painting shown in a museum. It was displayed in Hartford in July 1962. On July 9, 1962, Warhol's show opened in Los Angeles. It featured his Campbell's Soup Cans. This was his first pop art show on the West Coast.

In November 1962, Warhol had another show in New York. It included works like Gold Marilyn. This painting was bought by architect Philip Johnson. He gave it to the Museum of Modern Art. At this show, Warhol met poet John Giorno. John Giorno later starred in Warhol's first film, Sleep (1964).

In early 1963, Warhol rented his first art studio. It was an old firehouse. There, he created his Elvis series. This included Eight Elvises (1963) and Triple Elvis (1963). These portraits were shown in his second Los Angeles exhibition. Later that year, Warhol moved his studio to East 47th Street. This new studio became known as The Factory. The Factory was a popular place for artists, writers, musicians, and other creative people to meet.

Warhol's art explored how art, advertising, and celebrity culture were connected. He used many different art forms. These included painting, silkscreening, photography, film, and sculpture. Some of his famous experimental films were Empire (1964) and Chelsea Girls (1966). He also created multimedia events called the Exploding Plastic Inevitable (1966–67).

In the late 1960s, he helped manage the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground. He also started Interview magazine. He wrote several books, including The Philosophy of Andy Warhol.

In 1979, Warhol and his friend Stuart Pivar started the New York Academy of Art. In January 1987, Warhol went to Milan for his last art show. It was called Last Supper.

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  Warhol (left) and Tennessee Williams (right) talking on the SS France, 1967.

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  Campbell's Soup I (1968).

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  Warhol in 1973, photographed by Jack Mitchell.

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  President Jimmy Carter and Warhol in 1977.

Andy Warhol's Personal Life

In June 1968, Andy Warhol was seriously injured in an attack inside his studio.

Andy Warhol's Collections

Warhol loved to collect things. His friends called his many collections "Andy's Stuff." These collections filled his four-story townhouse and a storage unit. People did not know how much he collected until after he died. The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh received 641 boxes of his "Stuff."

Warhol's collections included a Coca-Cola sign and 19th-century paintings. He also collected airplane menus, old invoices, pizza dough, newspapers, stamps, supermarket flyers, and cookie jars. He even had important artworks, like George Bellows's Miss Bentham.

One of his main collections was his wigs. Warhol owned more than 40 wigs. He was very careful with them. A wig-maker in New York made them from hair imported from Italy.

In 1960, he bought a drawing of a light bulb by Jasper Johns. Another interesting item found in Warhol's boxes was a mummified human foot from Ancient Egypt. A museum expert thought Warhol probably found it at a flea market.

Warhol also collected many books. He had over 1,200 titles. His book collection shows his varied interests. It included books by and about his friends.

Andy Warhol's Death

Warhol's grave at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cemetery in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

Statue of Andy Warhol in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Andy Warhol died on February 22, 1987, at age 58. He passed away in New York City after gallbladder surgery. Before his operation, Warhol put off getting his gallbladder problems checked. He was afraid of hospitals and doctors. His family later sued the hospital, saying the care was not good enough. The case was settled out of court.

Warhol's brothers took his body back to Pittsburgh. He was buried near his parents. Before his coffin was lowered, his friend Paige Powell dropped a magazine and a bottle of perfume into the grave. A memorial service was held for Warhol in New York City on April 1, 1987.

Warhol's will said that most of his money and belongings should go to create a foundation. This foundation would help "advance the visual arts." Warhol had so many possessions that it took Sotheby's nine days to sell them all after his death. The auction made over US$20 million.

Interesting Facts About Andy Warhol

• The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh has a huge collection of his art. It is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to just one artist.
• He was the art director for his college art magazine. He drew covers and illustrations. These are thought to be his first published artworks.
• Andy Warhol is often called the 'Father of pop art'.
• His first pop art paintings were shown in April 1961.
• Some people criticized him for being 'too commercial' as an artist.
• Warhol sometimes walked in fashion shows and promoted products.
• Many of his artworks are very valuable today. Some are among the most expensive paintings ever sold.
• In 2013, a painting called Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) (1963) sold for $105 million.
• In 2022, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn (1964) sold for $195 million. This made it the most expensive artwork by an American artist sold at auction.
• In 2002, the US Postal Service made an 18-cent stamp honoring Warhol. It featured his "Self-Portrait, 1964" painting.
• In March 2011, a shiny statue of Andy Warhol and his camera was put up in New York City.
• A crater on the planet Mercury was named after Warhol in 2012.
• In 2013, a live video feed of Warhol's gravesite was launched. It was called Figment.
• Warhol has been a character in TV shows like Vinyl and American Horror Story: Cult.

Andy Warhol's Legacy

Warhol's life and art have been shown in many retrospective exhibitions. Many books and films have also been made about him. He is seen as a very important figure in the art world.

Art Market and Value

Warhol's artworks have sold for very high prices. In 1998, Orange Marilyn (1964) sold for $17.3 million. This was a new record for his art at the time. In 2007, a painting of Elizabeth Taylor, Liz (Colored Liz), sold for $23.7 million.

In 2007, Turquoise Marilyn (1964) was sold for $80 million. Green Car Crash (1963) sold for $71.1 million. Lemon Marilyn (1962) sold for $28 million. In 2009, 200 One Dollar Bills (1962) sold for $43.8 million.

In 2008, Eight Elvises (1963) sold for $100 million. This painting shows Elvis Presley holding a gun. Warhol made 22 versions of his Elvis portraits. Many are in museums. In 2014, Triple Elvis (Ferus Type) sold for $81.9 million.

In 2010, a purple self-portrait of Warhol from 1986 sold for $32.6 million. Men in Her Life (1962), based on Elizabeth Taylor, sold for $63.4 million. Coca-Cola (4) (1962) sold for $35.3 million.

In November 2013, Warhol's Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) (1963) sold for $105.4 million. This set a new record for the artist. In May 2022, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn (1964) sold for $195 million. This made it the most expensive American artwork ever sold at auction.

Important Collectors

Among Warhol's first supporters were Emily and Burton Tremaine. They bought over 15 of his artworks. This included Marilyn Diptych and A boy for Meg. Warhol even left a small Head of Marilyn Monroe at their door one Christmas to thank them.

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  Exploding Plastic Inevitable (show) - the Velvet Underground & Nico, 1966, poster.

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  The Souper Dress, 1967, a paper dress based on Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans.

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  Warhol and Farah Pahlavi in Tehran, 1977, with Warhol's art on the walls.

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  BMW Group - 4 M1, 1979, a car painted by Warhol.

Andy Warhol Quotes

• “When you do something exactly wrong, you always turn up something.”
• “Art is anything you can get away with.”
• “You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.”
• “The idea is not to live forever; it is to create something that will.”

Documentaries About Andy Warhol

• Absolut Warhola (2001) is a film about Warhol's family and hometown in Slovakia.
• Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film (2006) is a four-hour movie about his life.
• Andy Warhol: Double Denied (2006) is a film about how hard it is to prove if a Warhol artwork is real.
• Andy Warhol's People Factory (2008) is a TV show with interviews from people who knew Warhol.
• The Andy Warhol Diaries (2022) is a six-part show on Netflix. It tells Warhol's life story using his diaries.

Andy Warhol in Comic Books

Warhol appears as a character in the Miracleman comic series. In the comics, he is brought back to life by an alien scientist. He then convinces the scientist to make many copies of himself. These Warhol copies create pop art for a new superhuman world.

Images for kids

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  Warhol with Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bruno Bischofberger, and Francesco Clemente in 1984.

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  Screenshot from the 1964 film Empire.

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  Warhol drawing and signature.

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  Silver Clouds reproduction at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, December 2015.

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  Photograph of Debbie Harry by Andy Warhol, taken in 1980.

See also

In Spanish: Andy Warhol para niños

• Andy Warhol Bridge, Pittsburgh, PA