Creator Record

Metadata

Name

Warhol, Andy

Notes

Andy Warhol was born Andrew Warhola on August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents were Slovakian immigrants who maintained their Byzantine Catholicism and culture while living in an Eastern European ethnic enclave in Pittsburgh. At eight years old, Warhol contracted Chorea-also known as St. Vitus's dance-and was bedridden for several months. During this time, Andrew's mother gave him drawing lessons and it quickly became a passion of his along with photography. Warhol attended Holmes Elementary school and took free art classes offered at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburg. Upon graduating from Schenley High School, Warhol enrolled in the pictorial design program at the Carnegie Institute for Technology in 1945. In 1949 he graduated with a BFA and moved to New York City for a career as a commercial artist.

At this time Andy dropped the "a" on his last name and became Andy Warhol. His unique style and interesting subjects quickly gained him success and in 1964 Warhol opened his famous studio dubbed "The Factory". Warhol relished in his celebrity status and branched out to publish books and shoot film, as well as continue in photography and painting. In 1968 Warhol's suffered an assassination attempt by Valerie Solanas, a writer and radical feminist. Warhol underwent several surgeries to attempt to correct the damage done by the bullet hole and as a result had to wear a surgical corset for the rest of his life. Due to a chronic condition with his gallbladder, Warhol underwent surgery to remove it on February 20, 1987. His recovery seemed to be going well, however, two days later he suffered complications that resulted in sudden cardiac arrest and Warhol passed away on February 22, 1987.