Creative Mastermind for Week 4/21: Andy Warhol, Pop Artist

Welcome to The Creative Cabana and join me in a round of saying "HAPPY FRIDAY!". Hopefully you've had a great week, for me it's been pretty hectic which is why I'm running behind on getting my posts online to you. Every day this week I have had something major come up and it has really messed with my schedule, but better late than never- right? Well you know they say "good things come to those who wait", so for those of you who have been anxiously awaiting my post, I greatly appreciate the patience. For this week's Creative Mastermind, I'm highlighting someone who has been an artistic inspiration to me for many years. This person created a form of Art that remains popular today and has sparked a lifetime of famous images. This week's Creative Mastermind goes to Pop Artist "Andy Warhol".

You've probably heard the name before if you've ever studied Art History or if you have seen some of his famous work. This guy took the realms of art and really expanded his creativity through his unique designs. Warhol was born in Pennsylvania in the late 1920s and studied Commercial Art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in the mid 40s. He began his career working in advertising to create many commercial poster designs and was also one of the first people to use printmaking with a silk screen. Warhol went on to gain fame as a fine artist and was credited for his movement of art known as "Pop Art". Warhol passed away in 1987, but his legacy has left an impression on fellow artists and admirers around the world. 

Here are examples of Andy Warhol's most famous pieces: 

I don't know where to begin as far as reasons for why I adore Warhol's work. I love the color, the way certain details "pop", and I admire just the iconic display of each image. While each of Warhol's designs depicts some kind of famous person or novelty, he did an excellent job of keeping the integrity of the subject in each picture and uses color to effectively portray the style of each image. For example, in the pictures I have shown above look at how "easily recognized" these subjects are. Not just because you know exactly who or what it is, but what does the portrait say about them? Look at the vibrant colors used in the portrait of Marilyn Monroe. You have yellow, pink, and black- When I think of Monroe, the first thing that comes to mind is her beautiful blonde hair which is accented in Warhol's depiction of her. For John Lennon's image, I note the variety of colors used which helps to recognize his colorful personality. As cliche as this sounds, literally what Warhol has done here is he took a trait from his subjects and allowed them to "Pop" out in his work through his techniques of Printmaking.

Another reason why I think Warhol's art is so popular is because his work is so distinct and relate-able. I feel like many people tend to have more of reaction to artwork that they can connect with and appreciate instantly. Everyone knows who Michael Jackson is, everyone can relate to Campbell's Tomato Soup- these are all things the public is already familiar with and they don't have to put a lot of thought into figuring out what the picture is or what it's supposed to represent. You can appreciate the artwork for what it is at face value. Plus Andy Warhol's "Pop Art" movement was so innovative and ahead of it's time, it's almost like looking at the future of photography and art. We can imitate the "Andy Warhol" look now from using programs like Photoshop, PicMonkey, and Instagram- but back in the 60s you didn't have those luxuries. He had to create each piece by hand, which can make this even more classic! 

His style is seen today through different commercial art designs and techniques. Think back to the 2008 election with Barack Obama and John McCain. Did you happen to see this image floating around? Very similar design and technique, and clearly it's reminiscent of Andy Warhol's iconic style. I also read just recently on the internet that more of Warhol's late work has been discovered included images he had created through digital art and computer design. If you'd like to read more about that and see images of this discovered work, visit http://gizmodo.com/andy-warhols-lost-amiga-computer-art-rediscovered-30-ye-1566990245 or take a trip to the Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and see it for yourself!

Overall, there's just so much talent and creativity to appreciate from Andy Warhol. His artwork is truly an inspiration to people who have a passion for art, graphic design, print, or just creativity in general. Andy Warhol is a great artistic legend whose iconic displays set the bar high for a whole new genre of art and creative development.  Here's to a great and tremendously talented artist, we salute you Andy Warhol and miss you! 

So there you have it my friends, Andy Warhol- your Creative Mastermind of the Week! If you know someone or something, that would make an excellent Mastermind, share your suggestions with The Creative Cabana. Either leave a comment on this post, share it with us on our Facebook page, or you can tweet your nomination to @CreativeCabana on Twitter. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your Friday! 

*I do not own any of the works credited to Andy Warhol, nor am I a relation or have any connection to The Andy Warhol Foundation. The pictures used in this post as examples of his work are the property of Andy Warhol himself, and the respective photographer. The Obama "Hope" design is also not credited to myself and I give the ownership of that design to the respective owner/designers of the image. Opinions used are strictly my own and do not reflect the opinions of those associated with Andy Warhol, The Andy Warhol Foundation/Museum, or the Obama Administration. No Copyright Infringement Intended.