Andy Warhol Elvis Presley Pop Art
Andy warhol s art is often described as a mirror of its time and it is undeniable that his images particularly those from the 1960s rank among the defining documents from that decade.
Andy warhol elvis presley pop art. One of the most iconic images of 20th century art andy warhol s double elvis presents us with the image of idealised american manhood wryly exposed as a costumed interloper. Andy warhol ˈ w ɔːr h ɒ l. August 6 1928 february 22 1987 was an american artist film director and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art his works explore the relationship between artistic expression advertising and celebrity culture that flourished by the 1960s and span a variety of media including painting. Eight elvises is a 1963 silkscreen painting by american pop artist andy warhol of elvis presley in 2008 it was sold by annibale berlingieri for 100 million 111 2 million with fees to a private buyer making the painting the most valuable work by andy warhol.
For the fame obsessed warhol elvis was an especially intriguing subject to explore in the early. There is a lot of talk stirring up the art world in anticipation for the upcoming sales of two andy warhol paintings estimated to be worth up to 130 million for both. Unquestionably one of the biggest artists of the 20th century and one of the most influential of all times andy warhol remains as contemporary as when he rose to prominence during the 1960 s with his unique pop art style that would endure for decades to come and as relevant today as it was. The current owner and location of the painting which has not been seen publicly since the 1960s are unknown although it is.
The high value of this painting in particular can be. Elvis presley dressed as a gunslinger in a publicity shot for the movie flaming star takes his place in a flat empty surface that for warhol functions as a looking glass that reflects the overlapping nuances of. Warhol is best known for his portraits of popular cultural icons such as marylyn monroe chairman mao of china elvis presley the campbell s soup can american born 1928 1987 born 1928 in pittsburg pa andy warhol is easily the foremost leading figure in pop art not just in america but world wide. In the early 1960s andy warhol turned to celebrities like marilyn monroe jacqueline kennedy and elizabeth taylor as artistic subject matter he produced several life sized portraits of elvis presley america s most famous rock and roll singer and sex symbol throughout the 1950s.
Andy warhol created his first painting of elvis presley in 1963 portraying the king of pop dressed up as a cowboy with a gun in hand aimed at the viewer. However the silk screens of elvis presley should prompt us to reflect on their accuracy. By 1963 when this painting was made elvis whose hip shaking moves had scandalized some only a decade before. The most influential of all pop art artists was born 92 years ago the art of andy warhol.