Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987) explored the intersection between art and commerce like no other artist in history. Beginning his career as a commercial illustrator, his transition to contemporary artist was marked by the depiction of everyday products such as Campbell’s Soup cans, Brillo boxes and Coca-Cola bottles.
Born Andrew Warhola, the artist ‘Americanised’ his name and transformed himself into a brand. He contrived a public persona that was apparently naïve to the implications of his work; ever armed with glib remarks to deflect questions from journalists. As he became active in numerous industries, ‘Andy Warhol’ became a record label, a production company and a publisher.
His commitment to the exploration of commercial themes persisted throughout his career as is best demonstrated by the Ads series, created towards the end of his life. Through these works, Warhol elevated advertisements, transforming them into vibrant, captivating works of art. In doing so, he blurred the line between commercial design and fine art more directly than at any point in his career.
Warhol’s seismic contribution to art history is that he tied his work to a collective consciousness more closely than any other artist had before. His art is a pure reflection of popular culture in his lifetime and the spirit of western capitalism.
Andy Warhol, Beyond the Brand will run until March 24th. If you are interested in adding to your collection speak to one of our art consultants now.
