While I was in Atlanta for a wedding I decided to do a 'Drive By Exhibition High'. I have never been to the High Museum so I was eager to cross it off my list. To my surprise, an exhibition starring Andy Warhol himself was taking place.
I must admit I never understood the hype around Andy Warhol. An unpopular opinion? Yes, but I saw him more as a socialite than an artist. Influential? Sure - he introduced Jean-Michael Basquait to the world. His only claim to fame is he found 'Art' in everyday media while simultaneously shattering the archaic definition of 'Art'. Other influential artists hated him since he had no reservations when it came to stealing ideas and using photographs without permission. Mixing and matching photographs together and calling it your own - a process of a genius or something else ?
The exhibition had an exceptional presentation. All of his well known work was on display including the infamous Campbell Soup ans and portraits of Mao Zedong and Marilyn Monroe. I did get chills.
His methods were uncommon but it has become the foundation of digital art. I would not be surprised if his prints were the inspiration behind Adobe Photoshop. My first pieces were made on the computer copied majority of his methods. Lesson learned - you would be surprised by who or what has directly influenced you.
