Andy Warhol

[Dean]

Or more specifically, the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh

Right. I saw it a few days ago, and Warhol seems like a real scumbag. There were many quotes about how "business is the highest form of art," how he was obsessed with his appearance, and had 220M dolalrs when he died. Sure, he was a capitalist is an easy explanation. But my brother, who is also a commie, loves him. So what gives? Is my brother just admiring a scumbag, or is it that the museum is whitewaching (for the U.S. morality, anyways) his memory? I noticed that the shooting incident was mentioned, for instance, but the fact that it was done by a radical feminist was left out.

So, wtf is up here?

[Spartacist]

Your brother needs his head kicked in.

[Pirate Utopian]

I really dig his style, dont know about his personality.
Popart is just cool.

Also Warhol produced one of the greatest albums ever:
http://setofallthingsinsideashoebox.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/velvet-under-and-nico-cover.jpg

[communard resolution]

I'm not too sure about Warhol's political views, but I find the man hilarious. I think his real mission was to take the piss out of everybody and everything, and I'm convinced he was laughing his head off about how seriously people took him and his work most of the time. I think you should take anything he ever said with a huge barrel of salt.

In one of my favourite Warhol interviews, they ask him: "What present-day artists do you like?" Answer: "Oh, I like all of them."

He shot a movie called Empire State Building that featured nothing but a static shot of said building. The movie was 8 hours long. Critics walked out of the cinema after an hour and wrote terrible reviews alluding to Warhol's "pretentiousness". Warhol said: "How can they criticize my film when they haven't even watched it to the end? They walked out after an hour."

[communard resolution]

I noticed that the shooting incident was mentioned, for instance, but the fact that it was done by a radical feminist was left out.Valerie Solanas was a very confused person, feminist or not. Since she advocated killing all men (read her S.C.U.M. Manifesto) I wouldn't think that her shooting Warhol says anything about him in particular.

[Mr. Path-e-fist]

I liked warhol because I liked popart. I studied him in art for a bit and I got the feeling that he didn't take all his fame and money seriously. In most of his self portraits he barely made himself visable. He also changed his appearence plentyful amounts of times. So meh my two cents.

[Dean]

Valerie Solanas was a very confused person, feminist or not. Since she advocated killing all men (read her S.C.U.M. Manifesto) I wouldn't think that her shooting Warhol says anything about him in particular.

I know, I was just pointing out how the museum left out key information throughout.

As for the musical artists associated with him, I like a lot of them. And I like some of his painted art (though its not outstanding), I'm just wondering if ideologically there is something I'm missing.


Your brother needs his head kicked in.
Please don't say such things about comrades, its quite uncalled for.

[Pirate Utopian]

jaf6zF-FJBk

For some reasons this makes me lol.

[Pawn Power]

Sure he was a dick, but that doesn't me your brother can't like his crappy art, poor as it may be.

[freakazoid]

He shot a movie called Empire State Building that featured nothing but a static shot of said building. The movie was 8 hours long. Critics walked out of the cinema after an hour and wrote terrible reviews alluding to Warhol's "pretentiousness". Warhol said: "How can they criticize my film when they haven't even watched it to the end? They walked out after an hour."

:laugh:

[ajs2007]

I can't say I've read much about Warhol's views and/or politics, but I love his art. I agree with Nero, Warhol always appeared to me to be taking the piss out of high art, consumerism and capitalism itself - not that he believed in any alternative. His industrial, almost Taylorist, approach to producing art in The Factory was an aspect of this. I think he almost had an anarchist attitude about him, certainly one influenced by Dada and Situationism.

Frederic Jameson wrote something about a picture of Warhol's of ballet shoes, comparing it to a Van Gogh (I think) painting of workmen's boots, using each as metaphors of capitalism in the 19th. C and capitalism today repectively. Warhol depicts today's commodities as mere appearances and this may have even influenced people like Baudrillard. Anyway the Jameson piece is good and worth reading - of course it may also be pretentious bullshit :)

I thought there was also something about Warhol wanting to be buried in Pittsburgh because he wanted to return to his working-class roots, but I might be wrong about that.

Anyway, I really like Warhol, although some of my Marxist arty friends think I'm crazy to do so.

[Eric]

In art class my teacher said that Warhols point of the mass production of his art, were that anyone would be able to afford it. Art is very expensive, and according to my teacher he wanted everyone, also the working class, to have their own piece of art.

[LifesaHitcH]

You seem to be missing the point of his quote about business as the "highest form of art". Andy Warhol was not so much concerned with making great art as he was in manufacturing and selling art. It was the business behind his art that was his art, and is something most people overlook when looking at Warhol as an artist. As to whether this makes him a capitalist or a socialist, I dont think he gave a damn, for if lifes a game then money's the score. Running a good business (as an art) is more important than making money.

[Plagueround]

You want to talk about having an artist piss you off? I nearly fucking tore my girlfriend's Dali posters down the other night after reading he supported the Fascists in Spain. I can't deny the man's talent...but fucking christ...Franco? :(

As for Warhol, he was basically the Andy Kaufman of the art scene. I'll also second Pirate Utopian's love for The Velvet Underground. :D

[Os Cangaceiros]

When he was shot, the first person (Billy Name) to find him was by his side and crying, being upset by all the blood and everything, and Warhol said, "Don't make me laugh. It hurts too much."

I've always found that funny.