FREE ESSAY ON ANDY WARHOL: FATHER OF POP?

ANDY WARHOL: FATHER OF POP?

Andy Warhol: The Father of Pop Art
Andy Warhol has spewed forth in many examples of the modern style that is known as Pop
art, in various mediums -spanning from silkscreen to a cable network. Not only has Warhol
greatly contributed to this revolutionary style, but also in many ways, he has created
it. Andy Warhol's style was certainly part of the select first that were even labeled as
Pop. Warhol had also used the media, which captured his eccentricities, to his advantage
and that aided in projecting Pop art to the public. Warhol's timing had been perfect in
introducing Pop. Warhol was even separated from the other Pop artists who were his peers
because he was clearly doing different things with his subject matter. His continued
success made Warhol the most recognizable Pop artist. That status combined with the fact
that his ascendancy was as one of the first Pop artists even to be taken seriously, is
what makes Andy Warhol the creator of the Pop genre Warhol solely the most influential
person in it, as well.
Andy Warhol produced many Pop creations during his reign. Pop art is a style, which many
artists were experimenting with during the fifties and names such as Andy Warhol, Roy
Lichtenstein, and Claes Oldenberg began hanging their artistic works in galleries during
the 1960's. This style is defined as a noun that is a realistic art style, especially in
painting and sculpture using techniques and popular subjects adapted from commercial art
and the mass communications media, such as comic strips, posters, etc. 
(Guralink, 1970-83, 1108) Pop art is not satirical, but forces us to look at everyday
objects with renewed reverences; it may even only have meaning because it is not intended
to make a statement. (Gablik, Russell; 1969, 22, 119) All of the art Andy Warhol sold or
displayed was strictly Pop. He always displayed familiar items in a fairly simple matter;
there was interest but the objects were so familiar, that when referred to as art, people
were forced to see what they usually take for granted. Warhol's prints and drawings
embodied the meaning of Pop art. 
Andy Warhol definitely had competitors in his realm of the art community. In fact, even
though Warhol was the greatest figure in the Pop genre, he was not the first to make
pieces of their nature. Manifestations of Pop art have appeared throughout the world in
France, Italy, Germany, and Japan, but it was not possible on this occasion to deal with
it all. (Gablik, Russell; 1969, 9) During Warhol's time, however, Roy Lichtenstein was
perhaps the man with whom Warhol had the most competition with, if such a thing existed
in their relationship at all. Lichtenstein, although not as potently as Warhol, is still
a fairly well known name to people who do not even study art in depth. Lichtenstein was a
recognizable Pop artist of the sixties as well, yet was noticeably different from Warhol
in technique. While Roy Lichtenstein is now recognized as a refined, ironic, serious
manipulator of found images, Warhol has refused to redeem the mundane side of his art.
(Ratcliff, 1983, 8) Because he displayed many of his objects in a more disturbing manner,
...Warhol looked more and more like it's (Pop) leading 
strategist. (Ratcliff, 1983, 7) Despite the many others that were quickly falling into
the category of Pop art, Warhol managed to produce the most sought after images, if even
for their infamy. Then instead of many styles befitting to Pop, the label Pop Art began
expanding to fit the many creations that were otherwise undefined, but had obviously
followed Warhol's lead in style. The newer Pop artists seemed so reflective of Warhol. He
himself was quoted as saying, These kids were doing what we had been doing years ago.
Though these others were dubbed as Pop artists too, it was evident that Warhol had
typified the style, and was the first to succeed. All of the artists that wanted to be
know as Pop were influenced by Warhol's popular displays so that he had been showered in
such publicity, his eccentricities had faded to novelties and images (not to be
misinterpreted as the subject matter) he had introduced are still familiar today. Warhol
had surpassed his rivals. Warhol has been the most skillful exploiter of the media in the
whole of the art world that I ever remember. (Carroll, Lucie-Smith, 1973, 156) Warhol, in
using publicity in an intelligent manner, had manipulated it to his advantage, and
because of this, people became aware of Warhol and what he was doing to the standards in
art. This skillful manipulation of the publicity gave Warhol the power he needed to
continue his entreprenuership of his style in art, for now people were awaiting his next
move. [He was] the coolest of the Pop iconographers. (Kramer, 1973, 538) Certainly 
critics were recognizing Warhol as the leader of Pop art, and he was even gaining
attribution with more regular people in the mid-sixties, for his work was being exhibited
at galleries presiding all around Manhattan. One of the reasons for Andy Warhol's
popularity is because he used the media to propel himself above the others.
Another reason Warhol was the first Pop artist whose career was truly of significance was
because of his inventive style. The first few to be christened as Pop were oddly
experimenting with very similar ideas, however, Warhol's were more blatant and
disturbing. Lichtenstein did large prints of comic strips, whereas Warhol's comics had
blank faces or violently jagged edges with rugged, seemingly careless, dripping paint.
While Andy Warhol's Twenty Jackies were meant to show emotion, effect, and to reflect
pain, Ray Johnson's (another Pop artist of the time) stars were portrayed in a more
ironic and picturesque way. For these things, Warhol even seemed an outcast of this small
society of new artists. These almost irrelevant differences were what made Warhol into
the famous Andy Warhol. Emile de Antonio, a critic and friend of Warhol's saw this
distinction as Warhol's strength. He [had seen] the future of American Art in Warhol's
impersonality. (Ratcliff, 1983, 21) Before galleries would consider holding Warhol's
artwork, he had this certain edge to his style.  Saturday's Popeye (1960) for instance,
never had a chance to look brand new in public, yet it is basic to the development of
American Pop art. (Ratcliff, 1983, 23) When museums laughed at Pop art and its creators,
it was a meaningful piece just a few years later; one in fact that inspired the genre of
Pop.
Warhol had introduced his specific stylistics, which had soon after become a phenomenon.
Even though Lichtenstein had displayed work in Leo Castelli's Gallery (the 
first gallery to display Pop seriously) before Andy Warhol, it was Warhol whose
popularity had soon boomed and he even became a scapegoat for critics of Modern Art, so
every time he was blamed for something, Warhol was ironically gaining press coverage.
Warhol's displayed subject matter was attracting attention of everyone who was either
enthralled or quite disgusted. Warhol had most definitely a very unique style, which made
him easy to spot, and therefore achieved status. 
Andy Warhol has certainly created the genre now known as Pop art. Even early in his
career, Within the Manhattan art world, at least, Andy Warhol was famous. (Ratcliff,
1983, 26) This fame was because of his then awkward style and brash subject matter, which
defined Pop. Andy also, perhaps by fate, happened to present these Minimalist creations
to the world just as others were close behind him and headed in the same direction, so
that the art community was forced to react. Warhol's style made him so memorable and
because it was inventive, helped to spawn the then newly deemed Pop art. Not only did
Warhol lead this revolution, but he also influenced many that were brave enough to follow
his initiative. When asked who the important Pop artists were, renowned critic Edward
Lucie-Smith can not help but answer The most important was obviously Andy Warhol.
(Carroll, Lucie-Smith; 1973, 156) Of course, for Andy lead the Pop scene, and defined its
style. As Andy Warhol was clearly a Pop artist, he was also 
one of the very first to be put on display. His use of the media for self-propulsion was
successful in making him the first Pop superstar. Warhol's characteristically different
images in Pop were what clearly brought upon his remarkable staying power. All of this
definition from the rest and perfect timing were the elements successful in erecting Andy
Warhol as the first and last Pop star who had become and remained a household name, not
to mention just one of the first Pop artists period. That he was one of the first Pop
artists displayed, one of the firsts to have been successful, and the MOST successful,
are what made Andy Warhol the Father of Pop art.