Andy Warhol was Born on this Day

Patti Smith was in the Electric Lady studio recording when she found out that Andy Warhol died. She describes leaving the studio and a snow had fallen and New York was covered in a layer of whiteness. New York was white "Like Andy's hair."
84 for years ago one of the 20th centuries most celebrated and controversial was born as Andrej Varchola, Jr in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the fourth child of a working class Slovak immigrant family. A sickly child he developed an interest in drawing at a young age. He also developed an interest in popular culture and stardom that would color his future work undeniably.
Warhol graduated from Carnegie Mellon Institute of Technology with a degree in commercial art. This was able to secure him work in post war New York in 1949 as a commercial illustrator. Warhol was moderately successful but had higher aspirations. Fine art was a bigger and much more lucrative market. Andy wasn't able to really break into the fine art world until he along with a handful of other artists were labeled as "Pop Art". The "Campbell Soup Can" was the first of his iconic products raised to fine art. Warhol elevated the role of artist to that of rock star. He was one of the movers and shakers of the New York art scene in the 60's, 70's and into the 80's. The Factory, his studio was ground zero of the alternative world. Known as the Silver Factory located at 33 Union Square West was decorated silver covered in paint and aluminum foil by Billy Name. Fueled by amphetamines the Factory lived up to its moniker and art was pumped out by Warhol and his phalanx of assistants. Noted as much for its parties as the art work Warhol's Factory was the must be scene of the 1960's. Anyone who was anyone had to be seen there.
The films started during this period. Beloved and maligned the films of Andy Warhol are know for their lack of plot and camera movement; at their most complicated they consisted of improvised dialogue. Warhol also coined the term superstar to describe his actors. Edie Sedgwick, Candy Darling, Joe Dallesandro, Ultra Violet, Jackie Curtis and Holly Woodlawn were among his most super of superstars.
Then there was the music. The Velvet Underground became Andy's band and he created the banana album cover of their first record. Andy's name being associated with the band granted them an instant cult status.
Warhol also entered the world of magazine publishing in 1969 with "Interview" magazine. Consisting of intimate conversations with the movers and shakers of the era Interview was an extension of Warhol's fascination with recording conversations.
Warhol died at the age of 58 in 1987 from complications resulting from routine gall bladder surgery.
Art was whatever Andy said it was. Andy was art.