The Andy Warhol Self Portraits were as controversial as the artist

Most Andy Warhol Self Portraits will have him staring expressionless into the viewers eyes revealing little more than his looks. He was not bashful about using bright colors in his Pop Art and not always wearing the wigs. He certainly was not known for expressing his feelings in the traditional self-portrait sense.(Continued below)

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Andy Warhol Art
When comparing his self-portraits to his commissioned portraits from clients it is easy to draw a distinction. He was successful making portraits of clients look flattering, even revealing. The story of his first commissioned portrait is an example of his style. He was to create a portrait for the wife of a wealthy New York businessman. Andy took her to an arcade photo booth and used an entire roll of quarters getting those tiny black and white photos of her expressing a wide range of emotions for the camera. Both considered the shoot a success and the woman was humbled that Warhol coaxed her to reveal herself with very sincere gestures and expressions. He went on to use several of the photos in silk-screened portraits of her. She loved the finished artwork.

Pop Art Self Portraits
From the very start Andy was good at flattering, expressive portraits of others. Why is a typical Andy Warhol Self Portrait so expressionless and unflattering? My opinion is that he enjoyed shocking the viewer and he did shock them as the following story demonstrates.

He Loved Publicity
His earliest self-portraits were done well before college. At that time his intention was to show himself the way he thought other people saw him. He considered the results horrible. At the college level his best-known self-portrait had his finger way up his nose. When he entered it into a 1948 art show he used the title The Broad Gave Me My Face but I Can Pick My Own Nose. The title and painting shocked the judges, caused controversy, and it was rejected for being coarse and ugly. He renamed it Why Pick On Me and, even though rejected, it earned admiration from fellow students. More importantly, Andy Warhol saw first hand how shocking an audience could produce valuable publicity.

The Last Self Portraits
His last self-portraits show just his face with a wig’s hair standing on end. They are on a black background and they look down right spooky to me. He must have known he was going to die soon after because I’ve heard them compared to a death mask. He said, “I paint pictures of myself to remind myself that I’m still around.”

Youthful Andy Warhol
My favorite Andy Warhol Self Portraits are from the 1960s where his face still had the youthful look and showed him in jeans and leather jacket, sometimes wearing sunglasses. He looks cool and in control of a life that had brought him lots of fame and money he so badly wanted.

Other Andy Warhol Pages of Interest

Andy Warhol Soup Can
The Andy Warhol Pop Art of the soup can is probably his best known works. He produced thousands of silkscreen art prints including portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Pop Art paintings of Campbell's Tomato Soup.

Andy Warhol Bio
The Andy Warhol Bio tells of his mother, Truman Capote, how he died, and Pop Art.

Andy Warhol Artwork
The Andy Warhol Artwork most famous was Pop Art, the popular objects like Campbell's Soup Cans and Brillo Boxes found in everyday life and products in the mass media.

Andy Warhol Pictures
The Andy Warhol pictures most famous were portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, Elvis and other celebrities that started as Polaroids.

Andy Warhol Art
The best Andy Warhol Art was provocative when new and the Campbell's Soup Cans and Brillo Boxes are still iconic today.

Andy Warhol Shoes
Overview of how Andy Warhol shoes influenced his rise to fame and controversy.

Andy Warhol Quotes
The Andy Warhol Quotes on this page help give insight to man famous for wanting to be famous.

Andy Warhol Biography
An Andy Warhol Biography listing major events in the artist's life.

Andy Warhol Self Portrait
An Andy Warhol Self Portrait reveals little; shows a lot of his Pop Art style.

Andy Warhol Pop Art
Andy Warhol Pop Art was not his original idea; he wanted to belong and then he became the name and human symbol of the movement.

Andy Warhol Prints
Andy Warhol prints of Campbell's Soup, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley helped form the Pop Art movement in the 1960s.

Doug Dourgarian Art Gallery
The Doug Dourgarian art gallery on line of shoe art, landscapes, New York City art prints, and California wine art.

Click here to leave Andy Warhol Self Portraits for his other pages or see more links for artists and their online art galleries, prints and posters browse the links found at the bottom of Home Page.

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