Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1928, Andy Warhola
moved to New York City immediately after graduating from
college in 1949. Within a few months of being in New York,
he established himself as a very successful commercial artist
and soon changed his last name from Warhola to Warhol. After
winning numerous awards in the commercial world, Warhol
began to explore other ways of showing his work, beginning
with a series of paintings that were based on comic strips
for store window displays.
When
Warhol painted Campbell's Soup Cans in 1962, Campbell's
labels were very much a part of American life and had looked
the same for over fifty years. About Campbell's soup, Warhol
said "I used to drink it. I used to have the same lunch
everyday, for twenty years, I guess, the same thing over
and over again."
Although
Warhol had been well known as a commercial artist, Campbell's
Soup Cans opened the door to what would become a famous
artistic career.
- What
do you think about the fact that Warhol decided to paint
something so ordinary?
- In
your opinion do you think it matters that Campbell's soup
is a well-known product? What if Warhol decided to paint
a soup can made by a small company?
- Do
you think it matters that Warhol decided to paint thirty-two
soup cans instead of just one or two? Why or why not?
