Andy Warhol - Visual Art - Research Paper Example

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was one of the most influential American artists of modern times, who showed his discerning talent in multiple fields of art including paintings, photography, printmaking, filmmaking and other forms of visual and fine arts. (artcyclopedia.com) Warhol drew portraits of several celebrities including Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Canady and many others besides developing few successful films. His painting showing eight images of Elvis Presley simultaneously in one single sheet of silk print was sold against $ 100 million, which is viewed as one of the highest amount against any world class painting.

He first worked as commercial illustrator and record producer, Warhol focused his concentration on film making and visual arts. He won great applause and respect in contemporary pop art by dint of his intellect and innovative ideas. It is therefore he is considered to be the bellwether of modern commercial visual art. Warhol painted various images of the then Hollywood superstar Marilyn Munroe in silk screen with different color combinations in 1950s and 1960s, which got wonderful popularity and fame in the USA and Europe.

(webexhibits.org) His style was quite different from the prevailing traditional art work of his era. He portrayed the glamorous Marilyn in a vivid and glamorous style through the exuberating, exciting and exotic colors; consequently, every painting of the superstar presented unique idea and imagination about her. Unlike the Fauve colors, the non-representational colors of Pop Art do not depict the artist’s inner sensation of the world. They refer to the popular culture, which also inspires Warhol to experiment with the technique of silkscreen printing, a popular technique used for mass production.

(webexhibits.org) His idea of applying these colors in his silkscreen paintings were bought by the people like hot cake. Every image painted by Warhol presented different mood of Munroe, though most of them beautifully express and present her in a gloomy and morbid state of mind. The so called smiling lips of the glamorous actress are unable to conceal her melancholy and depression that has been depicted in her wide deep eyes. In addition, depiction of the images of the extreme beauty earned name and fame for the artist.

References: Art Cyclopedia. Andy Warhol: American Pop Artist Retrieved from http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/warhol_andy.html Color, Vision and Art Andy Warhols Marilyn Prints Quoted in http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/marilyns.html