Warhol’s photography and the birth of social media images
With Three Times Out showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery now, we look back on the photography of perhaps the world's best-known pop artist...
By
Aoife Allen
December 5, 2023
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
.jpg)
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
Born in 1928, Andy Warhol lived, worked and practised in an era mostly before the digital age which was birthed out of the development of the internet and computer technologies. Known for his pioneering of PopArt, which thrived in the mid-20th century, images of Marilyn Monroe and soup cans are what often first come to mind when the iconic artist is mentioned. However, Warhol was also deeply invested in the world of photographic images.
Many of Warhol's closest friends and colleagues appear to remember him primarily as a photographer, as opposed to a creator who specialised in the fine arts such as painting and printing. Vincent Fremont, friend and business associate of the artist, spoke to Life & Leisure New York and stated that “He used to say [he took the photos] so he’d know where he’d been every minute. That cameras were like his pen and pencil.” Some 100,000 photographs taken by Warhol over the course of his artistic career have been discovered. Of course, in the modern day, the concept of documenting one's everyday life with photographs is not uncommon, but Warhol was an innovator when he began to record images of anything and everything. This has inspired some to name him the first social media influencer, in a time before Instagram, TikTok and other online platforms that now dominate our virtual presence. This connection has recently been made by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in their exhibition that ran from 3rd March to 14th May 2023 entitled Andy Warhol and Photography: A Social Media. The gallery already owns 45 Warhol photographs, displaying these alongside hundreds more, along with paintings and videos produced by the artist throughout his career.
One of the main themes in Warhol’s artistic practice was the celebrity culture of the 1960s. Due to his close relationship with those in the public eye—which he enjoyed due to his own fashionable and celebrity reputation—Warhol has access to the starlets of the age behind closed doors. The celebrity eras have developed over time; from the Hollywood starlets of the ‘20s to Beatlemania and Elvis as the king of the ‘60s, to the tabloid culture of the ‘90s and early 2000s to the current age of the social media celebrity.
Not only is it true that fans gain a supposed insight and access to their idols through social media, but in many ways, the fourth wall is broken; the world of fame, fortune and adoring fans is not something reserved for the hyper-talented or those of us with supermodel looks, now the opportunity for a social media user to pick up their phone, acquire a following and sustain a profitable career is reasonably achievable. This fact was predicted by the man himself, the famous quote attributed to Warhol reads “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Fame is now widely attainable, and even those of us who do not necessarily strive for fame, present a curated portfolio of images of ourselves on our Instagram profiles for the world to observe.
In the ‘60s and '70s, the celebrity image was closely guarded, with stars only presenting their best and cleanest image to the press. Warhol had access to these inner circles, and the celebrities he photographed were able to be less poised in his presence; for example, the picture shown above of actress Bianca Jagger shaving her armpits in the apartment of fashion designer Halston before the trio attended an Elton John concert.
Warhol's technique was simple. He used a Polaroid camera he called “The Big Shot” to take his pictures; Fremont recalls the artist needing to physically move back and forth in order to get it to focus. Apparently having little patience for any other type of camera, Warhol stuck to his film, buying a 35mm in the early ‘60s but later abandoning it after claiming it was too complicated for him.
Warhol’s photography - and in particular the people and situations he depicted - was the beginning of an epidemic. The goal to create a candid, authentic collection of images of ourselves has only grown. Warhol’s goal of capturing a genuine, behind-the-curtain depiction of celebrities has been emulated to an extreme extent. What began as a project of fun amongst friends has transformed into a culture of self-surveillance and image projection.
Andy Warhol: Three Times Out is showing at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery until 28th January 2024. An adult admission ticket costs 15 euros.
