Andy Warhol – the Great Creator

Andy Warhol is one of the most well-known characters of the 1960s, with his art becoming iconic for the decade. His art was renowned for both influencing the underground art scene as well as popular music culture, with his collaborations with the likes of the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan – a frequent visitor to his workshop – The Factory. He even went as far as managing and producing a very experimental band – the Velvet Underground. His work did have an impact on some aspects of society, as himself being a homosexual male of high status, it made sexuality less of a taboo subject for many, or at least it made it less of an alien concept to a wider audience. His works commented on a lot of the rhetoric of the 60s, and followed the trend of challenging what was acceptable to society. His work on the Rolling Stone’s album – Sticky Fingers, was controversial as the album cover had homosexual connotations, confronting the repressive attitude towards the younger generations and sex, as well as homosexuality in general, as the youth were exactly who the album was meant for.

Image taken from: http://www.rollingstones.com/stickyfingers/

Collaborations such as these make it seem as though he was trying to make counterculture mainstream, which would actually do some good for society, as it would expose far more people to the radical sexual expression of Warhol and his peers. He often featured people of varying sexual expression (gay, bisexual, transgender etc.) in his films, and in doing so pushed the idea of celebrity culture. He enabled people who previously would have had to hide their orientation to express themselves to the world in whichever way they wished.

By the sounds of it then, Mr Warhol was a man set on challenging society’s boundaries and confronting the conservative forces that dominated the western world in his own way. However, there was another side to Warhol, he was as much a product of conservatism as he was an activist against it. While he challenged the establishment on the grounds of artistic representation, he also exploited his fame to make an absolute killing. He literally sold an autographed tin can for $6 in 1964, which accounting for inflation would be around $50 in today’s money. For someone set on combating conservatism, why then would he openly and shamelessly play the game of excessive consumerism? 

By pushing the limits of societal acceptance of his art, he made a brand for himself, and tried to use that brand to influence the way in which art and culture went. To make things all the more cynical, he often had his underlings in the Factory make at least some parts of some of his pieces for him.

It seems the progress his work helped foster in society was not his primary aim and was quite happy to stir the pot in society, breaking down conservative resistance to depictions of sex, but was never committed to it like his contemporaries were. 

By Mathew Hardy