You’ve heard the name on countless occasions. You’ve seen the mundane Campbell Soup cans instalment worshipped by contemporary culture. Although, have you really grasped the influence of Andy Warhol? Campbell Soup cans and striking pop art aside, the repercussions of Warhol’s creative output in the fifties to sixties can still be felt to this very day. It might be trite to say a revolutionary figure broke the rules but one could say this cliché arose out of Warhol’s endeavours. Here was an artist that completely immersed himself in the newfound atmosphere of stardom and popular culture of the fifties, and harnessed it to not only comment on the vapid substance of said period but to also make a statement on materialism and fame that has maintained relevance to this day. As such, here are three ways Andy Warhol revolutionised the arts as we know it today.
1. Multi-disciplinary
Part of why Andy Warhol inspires me personally is his lack of restricting himself to one art-form. Having begun as an illustrator, Warhol soon extended his artistic prowess to painting, physical installations ala the soup cans, photography, film and music. As someone who strives to do various creative things, the way in which Warhol dabbled and succeeded in an array of different mediums has not only inspired me but laid the groundwork for decades of multi-disciplinary artists to come. Recent examples of such an artist include the illustrious designer Tom Ford not only writing but directing two critically acclaimed films and Kanye West designing a fully-fledged label that is five seasons into its life already.
2. Music
Although Warhol himself wasn’t a musician, he is significantly responsible for one of the most influential bands of all time: The Velvet Underground. At the peak of the burgeoning art scene and The Factory in the East Village of the 1960’s, Warhol picked up the band to dip his toes in the music scene. Assuming what is officially titled as the producer for their seminal self-titled debut, Warhol took more of an art director role with the group as he oversaw their look and added German vocalist Nico to the group. In this day and age, the Velvet Underground’s sonic influence is evident throughout the alternative scene, and while Warhol himself wasn’t responsible for their sound he most definitely played a vital role in their exposure and subsequent cultural relevance.
3. Style
Just like his impact on music, the irony of Warhol’s stylistic influence lies in his lack of never designing clothing. Nevertheless, Warhol’s wardrobe staples continue to be rocked by the masses to this very day. Key pieces such as the striped tee shirt or black turtleneck pared with simple black denim haven’t aged at all since Warhol’s time, nor has his knack for wide-eye statement sunglasses. Although Warhol by no means was the first to wear said outfits, it cannot be denied that his cultural status in the New York art scene certainly affected the permanence of these pieces.