An Andy Warhol Angel
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“Andy was a Catholic, the ethic ran through his bones/
He lived alone with his mother, collecting gossip and toys/
Every Sunday when he went to church/
He’d kneel in his pew and he’d say/
“It’s just work, all that matters is work.”
-Lou Reed, from Songs for Drella
It’s true. Pop artist Andy Warhol, the legendary, ironically blank scenester, was also a devoutly religious man. He attended church faithfully, volunteered in soup kitchens, and made a late body of Christian themed works that have been largely overlooked by the hostilely secular art world.
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Warhol Meets Pope John Paul II, 1980
As a person of faith, Warhol used his artistic skills to celebrate Christmas. Before Andy found fame in the gallery scene, he was a successful commercial artist. From 1956-1962 he produced box sets of Christmas cards sold by Tiffany’s. He rendered these as quirky doodles, far removed from the slick screen prints he’s known for.
Here are just a few examples of Warhol’s holiday spirit.
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Christmas
Christmas
Christmas Cards
As I state in my book, Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization, Warhol left a mixed legacy:
“As the prophet of the Postmodern, Warhol was another harbinger of the mess of a culture we are currently slogging through. It’s not his fault. Do you blame a reporter for the news he covers? The cultural traits Warhol portrayed didn’t start with him. He fulfilled the role of the artist giving us foresight into the culture’s momentum.”
1978: Truman Capote and Andy Warhol Celebrate the Season
Maybe a Little Too High Spirited
But I like to think behind the facade of celebrity and detachment, there was the real human Andy, who celebrated Christ’s birth with sincere joy.
Merry Christmas!
An Andy Warhol Nativity
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[…] Tangentially related: Christmas cards from Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol. […]
Every time I think of Warhol cream of mushroom comes to mind.
Merry Christmas everyone and may creativity always be nipping at your heels!
Nice! I knew there was a little more to Warhol than his blank-slate public persona.
Thanks! Merry Christmas!
Thanks for sharing!
Vegetable Beef was always my favorite!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I suspect his simpleton act was a mask
Thanks, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
[…] PEOPLE ARE NOT AS SIMPLISTIC AS THE LEFT PORTRAYS THEM. EVEN THEIR HEROES: Andy Warhol’s Pop Art Christmas Cards. […]
He was a Ruthenian Catholic like the rest of his family, and his mom kept icons in the kitchen.
His windows at Bonwit Teller remain my favorite works…
Good information, thanks for sharing!
I looked those up. Fascinating, thanks!