Andy Warhol was an American artist known for his work in painting, filmmaking, and photography. He began his career doing commercial illustrations in New York in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he began creating paintings using images from popular culture such as advertisements and celebrities. He was an early adopter of silkscreen printing techniques which he used to create repetitions of images and icons from American society. His work commented on themes such as consumerism, fame, and death in 1960s America.

1. ANDY WARHOL Art creator or art work himself?

3. Examples of Warhol’s commercial illustrations of the1950’s. What sorts of art styles can you see being incorporated in this work? (Think Expressionism unit as well as from what Johns and Rauschenberg were doing). Explain your ideas.

5. Untitled (Superman Collage #15) 1960 Describe and explain the use of the various media that you see in this work. What are the obvious elements of Pop and Ab Ex? What makes you say so? Why do you think Warhol chose these particular images and to represent them in this way?

6. Dick Tracy , 1960, synthetic polymer paint on canvas How has Warhol changed his method of production from what you saw in the previous work? In what ways is he recontextualising and appropriating these images? Would you consider this ‘high’ art? Explain your answer. In what ways is Warhol reflecting the society that he is a part of?

7. Marilyn Diptych 1962* Acrylic on canvas support 205.4 x 144.8 cm (each) Describe this work in regards to Warhol’s style. Consider the following ideas: colour, repetition, composition, form. Discuss the use of iconography in this work and explain what you think the significance is. Why might this be important? * Warhol’s first attempt at screen printing. The image appropriated from Munro’s publicity shot from film Niagara . Munro dies in 1962.

8. Campbell's Soup Cans . 1962. Synthetic polymer paint on thirty-two canvases, Each canvas (50.8 x 40.6 cm). Warhol’s use of repetition is known as “the multiple”. In what ways is Warhol bringing our attention to the world of the mundane? Is he making a comment on American of the 1960s? What comment is that? Why do you think that he may have been interested in using such subject matter in his work? Is this really ‘art’?

9. Brillo Boxes acrylic and silkscreen on wood, 20 x 20 x 17 in (later edition) 1969 This work is from an original 1964 group exhibition called The American Supermarket. In what ways is Warhol bringing his design background into these works? What reaction do you think the public would have had seeing this type of work? What art movement that we have briefly touched on from the 1930s does this work seem reminiscent of? (Hint: one of the major exponents from this movement moved to New York during the exodus of the European creative community).

11. Death and Disaster Series Warhol collected various newspapers, magazines, and supermarket tabloids 1962 onwards the series explores the impact of cropping images taken out of a journalistic context and placing them as multiples into the context of art. Consider the stylistic features that Warhol is employing here…list three of them. How are these similar to artists that we have seen so far within this movement (ie. Johns/Rauschenberg) and how are they different? What comment do you think Warhol is making on society with this image? What makes you think so? Red Race Riot 1963

12. Car Crash CA. 1978 Unique Screenprint on Curtis Rag Paper 35 x 45 inches White Car Crash c1963 Andy Warhol talking about why he started doing car crashes in late 62: “ Every time you turned on the radio they said something like 4 million are going to die. That started it....when you see a gruesome picture over and over again, it doesn’t really have an effect”