Warhol

Even beyond inspiring its name, Andy Warhol's series of Mao portraits features prominently in Don DeLillo's novel, MAO II. Warhol was famous for many things--one of which was _being_ famous and drawing attention to the power of fame and celebrity in postwar American culture! Many of you have probably heard the phrase "15 minutes of fame" used to describe the fleeting nature of celebrity. Andy Warhol was the originator of the phrase, remarking in 1968 that: "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Later, Warhol commented that his prediction had been right. In many ways, Warhol imagined the culture we live in today long before its inception; he wouldn't have been surprised to see a world of fleeting celebrity, in which starring on reality television or internet porn could make anyone famous--even if for only a few minutes of time.

Warhol also prefigured a number of currents in the art world by becoming an expert in multiple media. He was a painter, a filmmaker, a writer, and an arbiter of style and taste. He was a fundamental part of the Pop Art movement that deeply influenced American art and culture.
For more on Warhol, check out these links:
Wiki page
Andy Warhol Museum
Andy Warhol Foundation
Interview with Ric Burns about Warhol doc
Pop Art Explained

“If you’re looking for Andy Warhol, don’t look any further than the surface of my paintings or the surface of me. There’s nothing behind there.”-Andy Warhol





Image of Warhol (on left) next to one of his artworks, an oversized replica of a Brillo box--part of his series of artwork devoted to making art objects out of everyday consumer products.