Andy Warhol - Artist Biography

Andy Warhol grew to be one of the most well-publicized artists of the last century, which is ironic considering his humble beginnings. Born to Slovak immigrants in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Warhol (born Andrew Warhola) lost his father in a construction accident when he was only 13 years old. Despite this trauma, he managed to nurture and develop a nascent artistic talent that eventually led him to study commercial art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh.

Warhol: the Prince of Pop Art
Warhol's studies in commercial art would have a profound affect on his career. When he graduated from the Carnegie Institute, he moved to New York and started working as a magazine illustrator. Warhol did work for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar in his early career, and also worked in commercial advertising. He quickly became a successful and sought-after commercial artist.

By 1952, Warhol was establishing himself as a groundbreaking modern artist. In that year, he presented his first exhibition, at the Hugo Gallery in New York City. A few years later he followed up with an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. By 1960, Warhol's reputation began to spread outside the New York art world.

For most of his career, Warhol experimented with turning commercial art on its head. He played with the images people were accustomed to seeing in advertisements and in magazines, forcing them to reconsider the things they saw in their everyday lives. Warhol's art still seems fresh today, and many of his best works are available as posters on PosterCheckOut.com.