When I think of Andy Warhol I think of Campbell’s Soup Cans as Art, debauchery and Studio 54. But I never associated him with Pittsburgh. So I was surprised to learn he was born there, and the reason that The Andy Warhol Museum is in Pittsburgh PA!
Welcome to the Andy Warhol Museum Pittsburgh
Replica of Andy Warhol’s Brillo Box at parking lot across from the museum
Montage of Marilyn Monroe and Andy Warhol in museum lobby
After the Cleveland area, our next stop was Pittsburgh. So I did what I normally do, and looked online for Things to do in Pittsburgh. As soon as I read about the museum I knew we’d enjoy visiting to learn more about this quirky personality and his art.
Make Him Want You, 1961, Casein, wax crayon and oil paint on linen. This is one of Warhol’s earliest Pop paintings
Three Coke Bottles, 1962, Silkscreen ink and graphite on linen
Campbell’s Soup Can, 1962, Casein, masking tape and graphite on linen
The Andy Warhol Museum was truly eye opening. It’s designed so that you start on the top floor and work your way down. It starts at the very beginning of Andy Warhol’s life and each floor chronologically documents his life and his life work.
Do It Yourself (Sailboats), 1962. Warhol created only 5 Do It Yourself paintings. It was part of his focus to allow anything to be considered a worthy center of attention in art.
Who remembers these? This is another piece from 1962 by Andy Warhol. It’s acrylic stamped on sketchbook paper.
Andy Warhola was born in a small row house in Pittsburgh on August 6, 1928. He was the youngest son of Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants Andrej and Julia Warhola. Warhol’s father was a building mover and laborer. His mother cleaned houses and made paper flowers that she sold door to door. His brothers also worked to help the family through the economic hardships of the Great Depression.
Shoes, 1956. Ink and Dr. Martin’s Aniline dye on Strathmore paper. Warhol was selected as the sole illustrator for advertising the rebranded I. Miller shoe company.
(Stamped) Basket of Flowers, ca. 1961, Ink, tempera, and Dr. Martin’s Aniline dye on Strathmore Paper
Julia,, John, and Andy Warhola, 1932, Facsimile of original sepia print
After graduation from Carnegie Tech with a bachelor’s degree in pictorial design. That’s when Andy Warhol made the life changing decision to move to New York City. He immediately began looking for work as a commercial artist. He was hired that summer by Tina Fredericks, the editor of Glamour magazine, to illustrate an article titled “What is Success?”
Flowers, 1964, Acrylic, silkscreen ink and pencil on linen
Elvis 11 Times (Studio Type), 1963, Silkscreen ink and silver paint on linen
Marilyn Monroe, 1967, Screen print on paper
He quickly built an impressive roster of clients and became one of the most successful commercial illustrators in the city. He won many industry awards and by the mid 1950s was earning an extraordinary $70,000 annual salary.
Natalie, 1962, Silkscreen ink on linen. This piece reminded me that I was frequently told I looked like Natalie Wood back in the 1960s!
Silver Liz (Studio Type), 1963, Silkscreen ink and silver paint on linen
Self-Portrait, 1978 and Julia Warhola, 1974, both created using acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen
In 1962 he began using photographic silkscreen printing which allowed him to easily reproduce the images he took from pop culture. Warhol would frequently underpin his canvases before printing. Sometimes it was the backgrounds he painted and other times he traced specific areas of the image.
Oxidation, 1978, Urine and copper paint on linen. Welcome to the weird world of Andy Warhol’s art!
Andy Warhol died at the age of 58 due to complications after gall bladder surgery.
To many, Warhol was considered to be a portrait artist, first and foremost. If you include his silkscreened, commissioned portraits and his cinematic portraits, which he called “screen tests”, the total exceeds over 1,000 subjects!
Cases of food and Brillo pads created by Andy Warhol as an assemblage, influenced other artists such as Kaws
Kaws, What Party, 2020, Bronze, paint
The KAWS + Warhol Exhibition is the first one to look at the commonalities between 2 of the most acclaimed figures in contemporary art. “This exhibit focuses on the darkness hiding just beneath the bright surfaces of their work, making explicit the depth and sophistication of two artists more commonly known for their popular culture references and embrace of commerce.”
Kaws, Monsters (Orange Frute), 2024, Bronze, paint, stainless steel – on left. Kaws, Monsters (Baby Blue Boo), 2024, Bronze, paint, stainless steel – on right
Kaws, Gone, 2018, Bronze, paint
Steve and I spent a leisurely couple of hours enjoying Andy Warhol’s art and learning so much about him and his influence on the world of art. We highly recommend a trip there if you are anywhere near Pittsburgh PA!!!
