The 1960's Artists

       The 1960's were filled with many aspiring artists trying to make a name for themselves. Out of all of the talented individuals two stood out the most, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Both of these artists had original ideas and displayed them through their artwork, and became very famous because of this. Andrew Warhol used pop art to express himself just like Lichtenstein used comic strip paintings to do the same. Both of these artists stood out in the 1960's and still stand out among the rest today.

      Andrew Warhola better known as Andy Warhol was born on August 6, 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Slovak immigrants Andrej Warhola and Julia Warhola. In third grade Warhol came down with an illness called Chorea, an affliction of the nervous system causing involuntary movements Because of this Warhol lost pigmentation in his skin and he became was somewhat bedridden which caused him to become an outcast among his peers and very close to his mother. Since he spent most of his time at home he drew a lot and showed an early artistic talent. When he grew older he enrolled in the School of Fine Arts at the Carnegir Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. Warhol then moved to New York City and began a career as a commercial illustrator. Warhol's style of art was pop art which is a form of art that uses elements of popular culture, such as magazines, movies, popular music, and even bottles and cans. His most famous art works are "Campbell's Soup Can" and Chelsea Girls. Warhol was obsessed with becoming famous and wealthy. Because of this he painted many celebrities because that's what they represented. Warhol was also a homosexual and was very open about his sexual preferences. He died in September 29, 1997 from a gall bladder operation.

     Another famous artist in the 1960s is Roy Fox Lichtenstein. He was born on October 27, 1923 in Manhattan, New York. Lichtenstein grew up in an upper-middle-class family. He attended public school till the age of twelve and then enrolled at the Franklin School for Boys in Manhattan, for his secondary education. Sadly this school did not have an arts program so he did art outside of school. He then enrolled in Ohio State University which offered a degree in fine arts. His studies were interrupted because he had to join the army between 1943 and 1946. He returned to his studies in Ohio after the war. After he graduated he was hired as an art instructor and did this on and off for ten years. Lichtenstein then moved to Cleveland where he lived for six years before returning to New York. His style of artwork was comic strip paintings which he started because one of his sons pointed at a Mickey Mouse comic strip and told him "'I bet you can't paint as good as that", that year he created six other comic strip works. Some of his famous works are "Drowning Girl" "Kiss 5" and Hopeless or Reverie".

     These two artists made an impact on the 1960s because their art was different. They didn't do the same old paintings everyone else did. Their artwork was original. Both the artist had a cartoonish look to their paintings. Cartoons in general were already being used by Lichtenstein, and Warhol wanted something original for his paintings. His friends suggested he should paint the things he loved. He listened to them and for his first major exhibiton he painted his famous " Campbells Soup ".

      All in all Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol were two famous painters that defined the 1960's. They may not have been very famous in the beggining of their carrer , if anything they were outcasts among peers. But with time, dedication, and practice they became respected and well known artists.   Their paintings have inspired many people to create their own artwork and will inspire many generations of artists to come.    

Sources:

http://www.warholfoundation.org/biograph.htm

http://www.rogallery.com/lichtenstein_roy/lichtenstein-biography.htm