Andy Warhol

Artist biography:

Born: 1928, Pennsylvania; Died: 1987, New York

Warhol graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology before moving to New York. His first big break was in August 1949 when Glamour Magazine asked him to illustrate an article called ‘Success is a Job in New York’.

During the 1970s, Warhol turned to painting famous personalities from all walks of life. These figures included Mao Tse-Tung, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Carter, Muhammad Ali and Philip Johnson. These paintings represented not simply a change of subject but also a change of emphasis, as they were more detailed and subtle than much of his earlier works.

His focus changed again during the 1980’s, when he turned his attention to mythical figures, such as Mickey Mouse and Superman. Later on, Warhol painted a series of endangered animals. As in all his work, Warhol picked those with a popular image, so that he could explore the image as much as the subject, or object, itself.