Being rather ignorant of Andy Warhol, who is apparently one the most iconic American artists and definitely the most recognized one out of Pittsburgh, I decided to go with an open mind.
This is my brief thesis on Andy Warhol. It is titled "Andy Warhol was a talented manipulative modern self-promoting artist who was fortunate enough to live in an age dominated by tasteless art critics and wealthy professional socialites.".
Here is a brief synopsis of my observations to support my thesis:
- Andy Warhol likes to wear sunglasses indoors and while working. I think this affected his ability to see the full spectrum of colors, and therefore much of his works lacked a particular spectrum. If he wore polarized lenses, I'd imagine his work would look like something posted behind venetian blinds.
- Andy Warhol aged very poorly. I didn't realized he died at a tender age of 58. He looked like he was 70. I think that's what happens when you take meth.
- Andy Warhol's screen prints were pleasant to look at, but he was not much of a painter. The primary "show piece" at the event was Andy Warhol's work on a BMW M1 Art Car. His art car was one of the worst of all the BMW Art Cars.
- I think he put about as much effort into that car as I hypothetically would on a notepad doodle during a long meeting (I said hypothetically because I always pay 100% attention during meetings and would never waste ink or paper on doodle).
- Andy Warhol liked pictures of himself hanging out with celebs. I think Andy Warhol was more about Andy Warhol than Andy Warhol's art. Sort of like the older Picasso, only without Picasso's portfolio of talent.
- I'm a people watcher and I observed there were primarily four types of people at the Member Preview.
- "The Paris Hilton" - These people were dressed and drinking as if they were clubbing. They stayed on the first floor (where the booze was being served), and never ventured up through to the seven floor of the Museum to see the art exhibition. Fortunately, these people are usually very generous with their unearned monies, and are probably what kept and keeps the artist alive and off the streets.
- "The Elderly Benefactor" - Older gentleman and gentlewoman holding glasses of wine and quietly amused at the scandalous stuff they help fund curate.
- "The Art Student" - These people were the ones sipping the complimentary bottled water, subtly but stylishly dressed, and pleasantly conscientious of other people's sight-lines (it is pretty annoying it is for some drunk to walk in front of you while you're standing 2-3 feet away trying to look at something). Art students stand and stare and observe - for a long time.
- "The Perplexed Plebeian" - This is people like me. I'm admittedly uneducated in the finer things of life. I tried to keep an open mind, but as it gradually got filled with pompous crap created with little effort or skill, I couldn't help but become perplexed at Andy Warhol fans. I'm sorry - I tried, but I just don't get it.
3 comments:
Gah - I bet my pretentious cousin and her untalented painter boyfriend were there. I just can't roll my eyes hard enough.
Warhol did enjoy celebrity, especially celebrities who are famous for being famous. He also said that he wanted his work to be like a machine made it, totally anonymous. Which it is.
But never trust artists about what they say - I think it's all, to quote my Grandma, "B.S.".
I like your Grandma :)
How queer, as I am also formulating a thesis on Andy Warhol. However, I am taking a neutralized, approach in convincing that Andy wanted to desensitize himself from the world around him.
By saying that he was modern contradict's what artist's believe about Modernism (I'm sure Jackson Pollock and Rauchenberg would agree that Andy was not a serious enough painter to be a Modernist Painter).
Also keep in mind, that while Andy was struggling in his early years and struggling with his career as a commercial painter, the Modernism Movement was falling. Artists were struggling to find meaning behind what they were doing (again). And after the fall of the short and bittersweet Neo-Dada period (ran by gay lovers, Jasper Johns, and Rauchenberg) Andy made his appearence with some coca-cola screenprints, which people hated.
But, you're leaving out the more personal aspects of his life. I think to fully understand Warhol, you need to be in a state of open possibilities. If you look at Andy with a psychological perspective, he was a glory-hungry, manipulative, child, with the emotional capacity of a thumbtack.
His art wasn't supposed to be about anything. Nor were his color schemes. It was about commercialism, allowing everyday working class men and women to get their 15 minutes of fame. There was nothing under the surface, no hidden meaning.
And another thing, he wasn't a meth addict, as he would've age a hell of a lot quicker than the actual amphetamines he was taking, which can be linked to speed, adderall, dexamphetamine, ect. He wrote somewhere, and explained in a documentary, that he was taking pills, and he would only tale one, just enough to make him wanna work. I've heard of people taking Adderall while writing a paper at 2 in the morning cause t keeps them going.
Andy Warhol is a very touchy subject for most artists, so if your going too make an argument against the , I suggest appropriating your facts correctly. Personally, I can't wait to desensitize this troubled soul.
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