I SHOP THEREFORE I'M AMERICAN

WARHOL AND DUCHAMP

«Warhol met and talked with Duchamp and thereafter knew him socially in New York and even made a three minutes film of him in 1966....In general terms Warhol was attracted to the way Duchamp took ideas and treated them in whatever way he felt most suitable».


-Andy Warhol
Self Portraits
Hatje Cantz

«ATHLETES ARE GOING TO BE THE NEW MEDIA STARS»

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM 101

«The world of the Abstract Expressionists was very macho.The painters who used to hang around the Cedar bar on University Place were all hard-driving, two fisted types who'd grab each other and say things like" I'll knock your fucking teeth out» and «I'll steal your girl».


-Andy Warhol
Popisms

WARHOL AS WRESTLING FAN

POST WARHOL PREDICTION:IN THE FUTURE EVENING NEWS WILL ANNONCE: HOW JENNIFER KILLED A MOSQUITO IN HER BEVERLY HILLS MANSION! EXCLUSIVE REPORT!

«GEE, THAT'S GREAT!»

ANDYWORLD

«What has enjoyed the greatest influence and longevity however has not been any specific work-not even the legendary Campbell's soup cans, Elvises, Marilyns or Maos but the sensibility which created them and which now permeates the culture. What was once camp, trashy, avant -garde, banal or just plain incomprehensible is now quite simply the mainstream.From Britart to Big Brother we're all living to one degree or another in AndyWorld and we'd better get used to it».


-Charles Shaar
Newstateman
Jan 30 2006

Photo: www.posternet.com

BEAUTY LOVE AND SEX

«There should be courses on beauty and love and sex. With love as the biggest course. And they should show the kids I always think how to make love and tell and show them once and for all how nothing it is. But they won't do that because love and sex are business».


-The Philosophy of Andy Warhol.

POST WARHOL PREDICTION:IN THE FUTURE CELEBRITY MAGAZINES WILL WRITE:TEN SEXIEST MEN HALF ALIVE!

WARHOL AND THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

THE AGE OF VOYEURISM

«A postmodern age of expression that began with the mutation of Warhol showing us Ourselves as the unrepentant voyeurs that we are, thus catalyzing violent discourses on the nature of pop culture has now degenerated into a blanket denial of the relevancy and authenticity of anything».


www.ctheory.net
4/3/2002

IN THE FUTURE WOMEN MAGAZINES WILL WRITE:TURN YOUR BRAIN OFF FOR GOOD AND MINIMIZE YOUR FOREHEAD WRINKLES!

THE EVOLUTION OF POP CULTURE

«Decade by decade since the 1960's popular culture with its stunning commercial success has gained strenght until it now no longer is the brash alternative to organized religion or an effete literary establishment, it is the culture for American student who outside uban centers have little exposure to the fine arts».


-Camille Paglia

«MUSCLES ARE GREAT»

WARHOL AND THE ART MARKET IN 2006

Last year the total value of Andy Warhol's work sold at auction was $199, 392,442.

POST WARHOL PREDICTION:IN THE FUTURE UBIQUITY GIFT WILL BE THE ULTIMATE LUXURY FASHION STATEMENT

THE GUY WITH THE WIG

«It was a beautiful day. Walked on the street and a little kid, she was six or seven with another kid yelled«Look at the guy with the wig» and I was really embarassed, I blew my cool and it ruined my afternoon. So I was depressed».


-Andy Warhol Diaries
March 15 1983

THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

Photo: www.askmen.com

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE FASHION DESIGNERS WILL CREATE LIMITED EDITION BEGGER'S CUPS.

PO$THUMOU$ FAME

«The pop artist who died Feb 22 1987 as a result of complications from a gallblader operation posthumously earned an estimated 19 millions in 2006. America's first Playboy Playmate (Marylin Monroe) who died aug 5 1962 from a sleeping pill overdose earned an estimated 8 million in 2006».

-Forbes
25/3/2007

«MUSCLES ARE GREAT»

STRAIGHT PEOPLE HOLD HANDS WHEN THEY'RE A «BEAUTIFUL COUPLE»" GAY PEOPLE HOLD HANDS WHEN THEY'RE A COUPLE MADE OF «TWO BEAUTIFUL PERSONS».

«GEE, THAT'S GREAT!»

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE WOMEN MAGAZINES WILL WRITE:HOW TO KEEP GREAT LOOKING HAIR WHEN SETTING YOURSELF ON FIRE TO PROTEST THE WAR!

WHY DID HE CHOOSE A CAMPBELL SOUP?

«I think only somebody who had a very vivid senses of the precariousness of life would have thought that way. He was pretty poor after all. They didn't necessarely know where the next meal was coming from».


-Arthur Danto.

WARHOL AND THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

Photo: www.allposters.com

NOT SO WRONG TODAY....

«Watched 20/20 and instead of saying «In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes it was so funny to hear Hugh Downs say «As Andy Warhol once said in fifteen minutes everybody will be famous». People on TV always get some part wrong like-«In the future fifteen people will be famous»


-Andy Warhol Diaries
July 27 1978

POST WARHOL PREDICTION:IN THE FUTURE WOMEN MAGAZINES WILL WRITE:HOW TO MINIMIZE YOUR EXPRESSIONS WRINKLES WHEN YOUR CAR GOES OFF THE CLIFF!

«SHOPPING IS MORE AMERICAN THAN THINKING»

WARHOL'S CHILD: SHOWING OFF FOR 15 MINUTES OF FAME

ANDY WARHOL ET SON INFLUENCE SUR LE MONDE ACTUEL

«Acheter est plus américain que penser".



Si il y a une phrase que l'on entend souvent c'est bien la suivante: La littérature nous permet de réfléchir sur le monde. Tout le monde en conviendra. Mais pourquoi ne pense-t-on toujours qu'au seul roman littéraire comme ayant la capacité d'aiguiser notre compréhension du monde? Et ce dans un 21 unième siècle ou la culture de l'image et de l'instantanéité triomphe partout.

À travers l'histoire de l'art ce ne sont pas les leçons de plusieurs individus majeurs qui manquent et qui permettraient de mieux éclairer notre époque. Pour un le cas de l'artiste Andy Warhol est exemplaire. Aucun autre artiste n'a en effet prédit avec autant de justesse le monde culturel dans lequel nous baignons. Et aucun artiste ne recoupe une aussi intéressante carrière brouillant sans cesse les frontières de la droite et de la gauche politique. Au mois de février prochain on ne manquera pas à travers le monde de souligner le vingtième anniversaire de la disparition de ce dernier. Au Québec Normand Bratwaite et Marc Labrèche ont jadis chanté sous le mode ironique les plaisirs d'être des putes médiatique. Warhol bien avant eux se qualifiait lui-même de plus grand prostitué médiatique.

À travers Warhol de nombreux aspects du monde contemporain sont présents voire décuplés. À commencer par celui du marketing. Tout au long de sa carrière cet artiste gai dandy n'a jamais fait semblant de ne pas être intéressé par la chose. Il disait un jour sous forme de boutade qu'il ne comprenait pas comment certains avait pu le considérer artiste underground dans les années 1960 puisque tout ce qu'il avait toujours voulu c'était se faire remarquer. Des artistes ils disaient qu'il était important pour eux de se trouver une bonne gallerie afin que la classe dirigeante les remarque tout en ajoutant que si votre promotion n'était pas faite de la bonne manière on n'allait pas se rappeler de vous. Faut croire que la leçon a été fort bien apprise voire même peu être un peu trop. Pensons à la promotion qui a été faite lors du lancement des albums de Caroline Néron ou de Garou ou encore du livre de Dominique Michel. Sursaturation dites-vous? Et que dire de cette célèbre prédiction de Warhol faite en 1968 selon laquelle à l'avenir tout le monde serait «world famous for 15 minutes. Aujourd'hui le triomphe de YOU TUBE avec ses dizaines de milliers de vidéos téléchargés chaque jour de par le monde est la prophétie de Warhol devenue réalité.

L'analyse de ses fréquentations passées est aussi fort éclairante. Dans les années 60 les artistes et marginaux étaient légion dans l'entourage de la Factory. De même que les drag queens. Puis par la suite quand il s'est mis à exécuter ses portraits de stars ou de grand financiers un pan de la gauche y a vu là une forme de trahison. À quelqu'un qui lui demanda alors ce qu'il faisait puisqu'il ne peignait plus et ne faisait plus de films il répondit qu'il ne faisait qu'aller à des partys. Un peu comme Paris Hilton ou Nicole Ritchie aujourd'hui en quelque sorte. À un autre encore il répondit qu'il n'avait pas cesser de peindre puisqu'il se peignait les ongles chaque jour...

Côté cash il disait que faire de l'argent est le plus fascinant des arts ajoutant que s'il avait commencé comme artiste de l'art il s'était par la suite davantage intéressé à faire de l'argent. On ne sera guère surpris qu'à sa mort en 1987 sa fortune personnelle était évaluée à 600 millions. Mais il poussait aussi l'ironie plus loin. En entrevue il disait qu'il souhaitait de l'argent pour tout le monde puis dans une autre soutenait qu'il ne fallait pas que tout le monde en ait parce que sinon ça deviendrait trop compliqué et on ne saurait plus de qui être jaloux ou de qui dire du mal. Peut-on imaginer plus typique de notre époque? Répétons sous le mode du slogan infantile que les «riches s'enrichissent et les pauvres s'appauvrissent , mais courons ensuite lire le dernier magazine à potins pour savoir combien coutera la nouvelle «Mansion» de Céline en Floride.

La question du sexe chez lui est toute aussi fascinate. Warhol était convaincu que quatre choses font que l'on tombe en amour. Le visage, le corps, l'argent et la célébrité. Il affirmait alors que tout ce qui comptait était d'avoir une combinaison équivalente de ces éléments pour que cela puisse fonctionner en amour. Cependant s'il y avait trop d'écarts entre les divers éléments cela n'allait pas marcher. Mieux encore il soutenait que l'amour et l'absence de sexe était très bien ou inversement mais que l'amour et le sexe ensemble était à éviter. Une tendance qui en 2007 semble manifestement prendre de l'ampleur avec les «sexless couples», les fuck friends et autre variantes.

De Warhol l'ex editeur du magazine Interview (de 1970 à 1983) Bob Colacello disait qu'ils se disputaient souvent ensemble au sujet de la politique Warhol se situant plus à gauche de ce dernier. Aujourd'hui encore Colacello imagine une autre divergence: «Andy aurait adoré ce qui se passe aujourd'hui, bien que moi je ne sois pas fou de cela...Je suis certain qu'Andy aimerait avoir Paris Hilton en couverture du magazine Interview mais je le lui déconseillerais. Il y a quelque chose de qui ne va pas dans notre culture quand les petites filles admirent quelqu'un dont la seule prétention à la célébrité est d'avoir fait un film porno. Il y a trop de personnes célèbres aujourd'hui qui n'ont pas vraiment accompli quelque chose d'important. C'est devenu hors de contrôle.» Bof, on n'a qu'à mettre une fille ou un gars de Loft Story en couverture...

Un autre élément révélateur du cas Warhol est certes le choix de sujet pour ses oeuvres. Bien sur les plus connues sont celles des années 1960. Celles qui de par leurs thèmes valent aujourd'hui à Warhol sa reconnaisance critque. Les séries telles «Most Wanted Man» ou encore «Dead and Disasters». Plus tard il devait pousser cette ironie en illustrant la faucille et le marteau symbole du communisme alors sur le déclin. Mais la plus grande leçon est ce que disait Warhol à propos du cinéaste Emile de Antonio lequel voyait dans ses oeuvres (dont sa préférée intitulée «Black Electric Chair») un fort commentaire social. Et Warhol d'ajouter. «That's funny» .Dans son ouvrage sur le monde de l'art Tom Wolfe avait déja moqué cette attitude si propre à un certain milieu artistique d'affecter une soi-disante révolte pour ne mieux qu'être récupéré par la suite. Aujourd'hui l'ironie entourant cette démarche est désormais à son apogée.

En ce 21 unième siècle l'omniprésence d'une certaine «Warhol attitude» est partout. À travers les visages de Marilyn aux couleurs criardes sur les robes de designer, à travers une collection de jeans Levi's inspiré par lui, à travers le culte de la célébrité instantanée hors du star systéme traditionel, etc. Or, dans tout cela son influence majeure reste le changement de perception du rôle de l'artiste envers les médias de masse. La position romantique de retrait né du mythe de Van Gogh, l'artiste génial et incompris a aujourd'hui disparu. Disparu au point ou nous sommes même passée à un autre extrême le marché de l'art connaissant une flambée des prix sans précédent. Et Warhol n'est pas étranger à cela lui-même qui est devenu l'artiste dont les oeuvres sont les plus prisées après Picasso. En novembre dernier (2006) son cèlèbre Mao était acheté aux enchères par un multi-millionaire de Hong Kong pour la modique somme de 17, 4 millions. Vivrait -il encore aujourd'hui l'artiste aux célèbres perruques argentées aurait sans doute ajouté: Gee, that's great».

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE A NEW HOLLYWOOD RELIGION WILL PROMISE GIFT BAGS IN THE AFTERLIFE

«GEE, THAT'S GREAT!»

Photo: www.manchic.com

THE AMERICAN DREAM NOW

Andy Warhol once said that while he didn't believed in the American Dream he thought that some good money could be made out of it. Now for its ten anniversary www.forbes.com have asked some personnalities what were their ideas about the american dream. Among them Hugh Hefner founder of Playboy magazine:«I think the american dream is personal, political, and economic freedom, it's what the Constitution assures, it's an immigrant dream which we most identify with largely because the idea has been promoted worlwide through movies and American Pop Culture».


Forbes magazine
23/3/2007

THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

Photo: imbd.com

POST WARHOL PREDICTION:IN THE FUTURE CELEBRITY MAGAZINES WILL WRITE: HOW TO RAISE YOUR HEAD LIKE A STAR WHEN TAKING A PILL IN YOUR HOSPITAL BED!

TRUMAN CAPOTE ON ANDY WARHOL

« He seemed one of those hopeless people that you just know nothing's ever going to happen to...Just a hopeless born loser the loneliest most friendless person I've ever seen in my life»

«MUSCLES ARE GREAT»

THE BEST LESSON ON FAME FOR TODAY'S WORLD

«The funny thing about gettting famous is that it usually never happens to people who go after it. Even today when there are new celebrities by the minute , you still have to be famous for something and you have to work at the something all the time. Those who spend all their time thinking about press agents and getting coverage and game show guest appearances don't spend enough time on the something and they can't stay famous for long»


-Andy Warhol.

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE GOSSIP MAGAZINES WILL WRITE: 90 YEAR OLD ELVIS FOUND IN FORMER SADDAM HUSSEIN HIDEAWAY!

THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE WOMEN MAGAZINES WILL WRITE; 867 495 SEX MOVES YOU NEVER HEARD OF!

SHOWING OFF FOR 15 MINUTES OF FAME

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE WOMEN MAGAZINE WILL WRITE: HOW TO BECOME A DOLLAR STORE DIVA: TEN TIPS FOR YOU!

THE TRIUMPH OF POP IN THE 21ST CENTURY

«Artists at that time still did not use the word to refer to what they themselves did; when the Independent Group talked about Pop art they were still refering to mass commercial culture itself., and in January 1957 Richard Hamilton produced a now famous list of its qualities: popular (designed for mass audience, transient, expendable, low cost, mass produced, young, witty, sexy, gimmicky, glamorous, big business".


-Simon Wilson
Pop

SUCH A PART OF NEW YORK

«But he was very accessible in New York. He was such a part of New York....He introduced me and I was nobody, just starting out. People would come up to him and he'd always defer the attention onto whoever he was with that's why he liked to be with celebrities»


-David Lachapelle
Salon 27/1/2005

«GEE, THAT'S GREAT!»

«BEAUTY IS A SIGN OF INTELLIGENCE» -ANDY WARHOL

Photo: www.bartcop.com

POST WARHOL PREDICTION:IN THE FUTURE WOMEN MAGAZINES WILL WRITE:DON'T TALK WHEN YOUR HUSBAND IS SCREAMING AT YOU AND MINIMIZE YOUR UPPER LIP WRINKLES

MARILYN MONROE PAINTING

Next May a silk-screen painting of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol is to be sold at Christie's. The painting is expected to be sold for about 15 millions. It was originally bought for $250 in 1962.

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE AMERICAN PREACHERS WILL PROMISE LUXURY MATERIAL GOODS IN HEAVEN

THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

ANDY WARHOL & MICHAEL JACKSON

«Michael nibbled forlornly on a cookie while the rest of his party dined on pâté de foie gras, truffles and filet mignon. Eventually the naive Michael asked the obvious gay Warhol why he had never married.«Don't you want children?» Michael asked. Warhol pondered the question for a moment.«I want children» he finally replied «but not my own». Michael's response said another patron at an adjacent table was to «smile that sweet, angelic smile of his».


-Micheal Jackson unauthorized
Christopher Anderson.

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE YOUNG HOLLYWOOD STARS WILL SELL THEIR CLONED BODYPARTS ONLINE

ANYTHING WITH ANDY'S NAME ON IT

«Better than anyone else Warhol had understood that the art market in 1960's answered the Medieval alchimist's prayer for a philosopher's stone that could change lead into gold. Suddenly there were more millionaires in suburban Omaha than there were paintings by Manet or Titian.The gentlemen needed symbols of their economic triumphs-something to place on the wall as a marker buoy attesting to the presence of a sunken treasure. The trendier museums acquired enough of the new art to establish a kind of Federal Reserve System for the canvas equivalent of junks bonds. Within a year of Warhol's death, Sotheby's auctioned his collection of cookie jars for $237 830. Lead had turned to gold and art was anything with Andy's name on it".


-Lewis H Lapham
«Money and Class in America».

WARHOL AND THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

Photo: www.askmen.com

IN THE FUTURE GOSSIP MAGAZINES WILL WRITE: HOW TO IMITATE ANGELINA'S VOICE WHEN FAKING PLEASURE IN BED!

ST PATRICK'S DAY

«The Saint Patrick's Day parade was starting up so the traffic was bad. Everybody was wearing green and staggering and it was like seeing the old days of New York when everybody used to be drunk all the time instead of on drugs, swaying down the street.»


The Andy Warhol Diaries
March 17 1978

WARHOL AND THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

Photo: i3photobucket.com

THE ART MARKET

In 2006 the value of Warhol's work increased by 36% while its overall value over ten years increased by an amazing 382%.


Source: www.artmarketinsight.com

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE A COSMETIC COMPANY WILL SELL «MORNING CREAM», «AFTERNOON CREAM» , «EVENING CREAM» AND «AFTER MIDNIGHT CREAM»

FROM WARHOL TO TODAY'S HIP HOP CULTURE

When Andy Warhol claimed than making money was art and being good in business was the best art, he certainly didn't expected that very same idea to have such an impact later on. But nowadays this is what's happening everywhere in pop culture and especially in Hip Hop. Being an entrepreneur is cool, and Paper Chasers are all the rage.

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE WOMEN MAGAZINE WILL WRITE: HOW TO MINIMIZE YOUR EXPRESSION WRINKLES WHEN SEEING HOW SMALL YOUR MAN IS!

WARHOL AND THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

Photo: www.askmen.com

«GEE, THAT'S GREAT!»

THE MORE AN ARTIST QUESTION THE NOTION OF FEMALE BEAUTY ON THE CANVAS THE MORE HIS GIRLFRIEND LOOK LIKE IT

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE NURSES WILL DO POLE DANCING IN RETIREMENT HOMES

FROM JANIS JOPLIN TO BRITNEY SPEARS

«You'd have Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin there, doing drugs and drinking. It was part of the glamour, the whole culture of the 1960's and 1970's. Nowadays you just have pictures of Britney Spears shaving her head and the like-this is what culture has become».



-Holly Woodlawn
Warhol Superstar.

POST WARHOL PREDICTION:IN THE FUTURE A JUAN MIRO PAINTING WILL BECOME THE MOST EXPENSIVE ONE IN THE WORLD

THE BEAUTY OBSSESSION

photo:i6photobucket.com

MY FAVORITE ANDY WARHOL QUOTE

«They say we're a service economy now-that there are more people selling us hambugers than making us steel and things. So would the huge wall murals of today be of the people sitting at computer terminals and the people at Burger King handing you your fries? Is there any way to make that look heroic?»

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE A JEWISH MAGAZINE WILL WRITE: IS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF POLAR BEAR GOOD FOR THE JEWS?

«MUSCLES ARE GREAT»

POST WARHOL PREDICTION:IN THE FUTURE WOMEN MAGAZINES WILL WRITE: STOP SMILING FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND REDUCE YOUR BOTOX INJECTIONS COST!

THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

BASQUIAT, HARING AND THE «NEW KIDS»

«When the New York Times magazine came out with its cover story about the new kids (feb 1985) Andy was called The Pope. he was very well aware of his role. He willed himself towards them».


-Victor Bockris
The life and death of Andy Warhol.

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE WOMEN MAGAZINES WILL WRITE: GET YOUR BEST EVER LOOKING HAIR WHEN LYING IN YOUR COFFIN: TEN TIPS FOR YOU!

IF WARHOL WERE ALIVE TODAY...

«When Andy Warhol unveiled his «Dollar Signs» paintings in the 1980's his message to the art world was bold and unambigous. On his canvases the white-haired provocateur had messily scrawled a series of dollars signs some of them stacked in groups, some alone, most of them large and garishly multi-colored...If Warhol were alive today however he might paint over some of those famous dollar signs with the symbols for yuans, rupees and wons. it would be apropos. That's because today's fast-paced global art world is red hot».


-Forbes magazine
14/3/2007

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE ON THE FAME GAME

«These days the names are bigger than the songs-people want to see pictures, videos, cameos, collaborations, fame association. It's like some übercool party that you can't get into. Now I know my name is on that guest list but that's not what inspires me».

Photo: www.rollingstone.com

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE THE NEXT HOTTEST HOLLYWOOD TREND WILL BE LIP PUMPERS FOR PETS

«GEE...SHE'S SO GOOD-LOOKING»

Photo: staticzoomr.com

JASPER JOHNS AND ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG

«On the other hand when I first visited Warhol in New York he was as talkative as he ever would be with me, asking me lots of questions about the artists. He asked if I knew Rauschenberg. Did I know Johns? Well, yes. I did thanks to Leo Castelli. What did I think of them? Warhol was one of the absolute pioneers of object art in America. It's so important to understand how aware he was of both Rauschenberg and John's work".


-Walter Hopps
Pop Art
US/UK connections 1956-1966

WARHOL AND THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

Photo: i34photobucket.com

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE A NEW VIDEO GAME WILL ALLOW YOU TO PLAY VALERIE SOLANAS SHOOTING ANDY WARHOL

HOLLY WOODLAWN

«A healthy psychology goes with the flow and responds to situations and stimuli as they occur. It reminds me a little bit of Holly Woodlawn, the great Warhol drag queen who was on a early Geraldo show. «Are you like a man who should be a woman or are you a woman who was a man or are you a man/woman?» And Holly Woodlawn said: «Oh who cares? As long as you look fabulous!»

-Camille Paglia.

AMERICAN SURREALIST CHARLES HENRI FORD

«Well, I'm the one who took Warhol to the underground films to see Jack Smith, etc. I gave Andy his first exposure to underground films. He immediately got turned on».

«MUSCLES ARE GREAT»

Photo: student-info.net

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE A NEW AMERICAN RELIGION WILL APPEAR PROMISING PLASTIC SURGERY IN HEAVEN EVERY 100 YEARS.

KARL LAGERFELD ON FAME IN THE 21 ST CENTURY

«Sexual morality is not censored the way it was in the old days. Now everything has to look perveasively sexy. Fame today is the aura of film, TV screens and images put on faces and names. What they are really famous for is often not that important».

THE BEST INSIGHT ON THE AMERICAN DREAM

For many Warhol is the perfect exemple of the American Dream. For others he's the one who painted both the American Dream and its opposite version: car crashes, disasters, etc. Actually the most interesting opinion about this was given by Warhol himself during an interview with Glenn O'Brien in 1977. Asked if he believed in the American Dream Warhol answered no adding however that a lot of money could be made out of it. In the 21st century this is exactly what is happening.

It doesn't matter if statistically speaking the american dream is more and more out of reach for most people since a growing number believe it will happen to them. So the only thing you have to do is telling people on TV shows or in magazines that THEY CAN achieve their American Dream and of course...making a lot of money while doing it.

THE BEAUTY OBSESSION

Photo: Sports Illustrated

PHILO 101: KNOW YOURSELF

«A lady friend of mine asked me: well, what do you like the most? That's how I started painting money».


-Andy Warhol

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE CITIES WILL RENT 3 SQUARE FEET SIDEWALK SPACES TO PANHANDLERS

MUSCLES: «EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE ONE THEY CAN SHOW OFF»

«THE DEEPEST PHILOSOPHICAL ARTIST OF MODERN TIMES» -ARTHUR C DANTO

POST WARHOL PREDICTION:IN THE FUTURE WOMEN MAGAZINES WILL WRITE: IS YOUR HUSBAND'S SPERM TRANS FAT FREE?

ALL ABOUT STYLE

«In America you either need money or style to live really well. Everything's here and you can tap into it either by buying it or by convincing people to let you have it for free beause you're great to look at and they want you around».


-Andy Warhol.

«ATHLETES ARE GOING TO BE THE NEW MEDIA STARS»

PEREZ HILTON: MASTERING THE WARHOL LESSON

Warhol used to say that if you were not promoted right you wouldn't be remembered. In the 21st century Perez Hilton celebrity gossip blogger have mastered the art of self marketing perfectly: «Why wait a week to read something in boring People or wait a day to read it in the newspaper or wait several hours to watch it on Access Hollywood or Entertainment Tonight when you can read about it instantly online on my site? People have a thirst for this kind of information. I feed it for free».

POST WARHOL PREDICTION: IN THE FUTURE OBESE WOMEN WILL TRAVEL IN WEIGHTLESSNESS TO FEEL GREAT ABOUT THEIR WEIGHT!

«MUSCLES ARE GREAT»

WARHOL AND LEVI'S 501

«Levi's marqued the 20th anniversary of Andy Warhol's death last week with a runway show for its Warhol Factory X Levi's fall collection. Levi's launched the line in 2006 citing Warhol's influence as an artist and a commited wearer of Levi's 501».


-Women Wear Daily
March 1 2007

«GEE, THAT'S GREAT!»

Photo: www.dpercussion.com

ALI BOXING WARHOL BY ADIDAS

* Only 150 pairs released in the world.

DISASTER AS PATH TO FAME

«And along with the celebrity, he really understood that celebrity was in its own way a disaster. He was very astute about who he was and what that meant. Celebrity equals fame equals death. And the reverse was; a disaster and death could make you a celebrity. Andy was the first to understand that».


-David Cronenberg
Filmmaker

WHY THE WARHOL INFLUENCE IS SO ENDURING

«What endeared people to him and continues to do so is that he was a self-creation. That's what is so lasting».


Thomas Sokolowski
Director The Andy Warhol Museum.

POST WARHOL PREDICTION:IN THE FUTURE THE IDEA OF POSTHUMOUS FAME WILL BE OBSOLETE