Genessy's Essay

Andy Warhol was born on August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He was the fourth child and had two older brothers. During his childhood, Andy had numerous health disorders, such as sydenham's chorea and scarlet fever. Since he was frequently diagnosed for ailments, Andy started developing a sense of fear towards hospitals and doctors. Andy was a loner and didlso known as being a loner, he didn’t have many friends. Absence of school was to blame for this. Andy was in bed for a big part of his childhood. His parents and brothers were his entertainment and played a huge part in friendship. While struggling with his illnesses, he still managed to graduate from ‘Schenley High School’ in 1945. Later he moved to the ‘Carnegie Institute of Technology’ to pursue a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. Andy introduced a new concept named ‘Pop Art.’ His work received a lot of appreciation from the public. However, he was also criticized by many for exploiting art. 

One of the biggest influencers of Warhol’s life was his mother Julia who was very artistic. “Original paintings are silent and still in a sense that information never is.”(Berger, 1972) As a child he also had posters of celebrities, this also played a huge role in the development of his artwork today. As we all may know “ Images were first made to conjure up the appearance of something that was absent. (Berger, 1972) He was obsessed with movie stars and fantasized about how they were in America. This led to his own presence in his work because he later created this room called “The factory” where he would paint celebrities hanging out with him in it. Joanne Finkein stated “art was his most important interest and by art he meant not just canvases and sculptured objects but also visions and ideals of how the world should be.” This is unique because it somewhat describes how Warhol is with his imagination of America. Media and fame played a role in his life in a way in which it was all he wanted. Warhol used art materials and techniques by first taking a photograph from either a newspaper or magazine, then creating a silkscreen, printing it, and coloring over it. His work of Elvis and Marilin was done this way as well because he had never met them in person. Andy Warhol did indeed invent himself through his work. He was also known to wear a blonde platinum wig in some of his self portraits. Warhol’s legacy continues to live in the world of art even today. Many of his creative works have been displayed in various exhibitions across America. His works continue to serve as a great source of inspiration for many American and others around the world.

Jean-Michael Basquiat on the other hand was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 22, 1960. With a Haitian-American father and a Puerto Rican mother, Basquiat's diverse cultural heritage was one of his many sources of inspiration. Basquiat began drawing at an early age on sheets of paper. Similarly to Warhol, his mother also encouraged him to pursue his artistic talents. Basquiat first attracted attention for his graffiti in New York City in the late 1970s, under the name "SAMO." Working with a close friend, he tagged subway trains and Manhattan buildings with cryptic aphorisms. In 1977 Basquiat quit high school a year before he was supposed to graduate. Later he began selling sweatshirts and postcards featuring his artwork on the streets. His canvas artwork explores the themes of mortality, race, self-identity, and religion. A common theme in nearly all of Basquiat's works are the ideas of finding oneself. As a young black man living in New York in the 1980s, he used his art to criticise the histories racism against African Americans. Media and fame played a huge role in Basquiat's life after his work was featured in a group show in 1980 causing his art to be worth $50,000.  Finkelstein explains how daily life may seem ad hoc but it is heavily structured by the presence of others, real and imagined.” This exemplifies the fact that the people around us leave an impact on our lives. Basquiat too presented himself in his work, he had a self portrait called “Self Portrait” in 1984. As far as art materials and techniques, besides painting on paper or stretched canvas, Basquiat often painted on materials he found in the streets, such as windows, doors, or scraps of foam rubber, which he joined together with wooden bars and hinges. He covered the surfaces with paint and pieces of torn and crumpled paper.

 Andy Warhol:

Jean-Michael Basquiat:

References

1. Finkelstein, J., (2007) The Art of Self Invention

2. Berger, J., (1972) Ways of Seeing