Explore our collection of Andy Warhol quotes to appreciate a legendary artist who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art.
In the world of art, few names are as well-known as Andy Warhol. A pop icon and one of the most prolific artists of his time, Warhol’s work spanned several different mediums and his influence is still felt today.
Short biography of Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He was born on August 6, 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Warhol’s parents were immigrants from Czechoslovakia. He was a sickly child and spent a lot of time bedridden. As a result, he developed an early interest in art.
Warhol studied commercial art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. After graduation, he moved to New York City and began working as a commercial artist. Warhol quickly gained notoriety for his work with advertising and magazines. In the 1960s, Warhol began to experiment with new mediums such as film and silkscreen printing.
Warhol is best known for his pop art paintings of everyday objects such as Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles. He also produced numerous portraits of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.
In addition to his artistic achievements, Warhol was well-known for his eccentric personality and often quoted sayings. Here are some of the most memorable Andy Warhol quotes:
Andy Warhol quotes about art
In the world of art, Andy Warhol is considered a legend. His quotes about art have been cited by many people in the industry as well as by those who appreciate art. Here are some of his memorable quotes about art:
“I’m afraid that if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all of its meaning.”
This quote gets to the heart of Warhol’s philosophy on art. For him, art was about capturing a moment in time. By freezing an image or object in time, Warhol was able to create new meanings and interpretations.
“Art is what you can get away with.”
“I believe in low art and I believe in high art. I don’t believe in only one kind of art.”
“An artist is somebody who produces things that people don’t need to have but that he – for some reason – thinks it would be a good idea to give them.”
“I’m not doing it for money… I’m doing it for kicks.”
Warhol was driven by a passion for art, not by financial gain. He believed that true artists should do what they love, regardless of whether or not they are making money from it.
“Art is a lie that tells the truth.”
“I’m trying to work without preconceived notions. I don’t want to be influenced by what came before me.”
“Good business is the best art.”
Warhol was a businessman as well as an artist, and he saw no contradiction between the two pursuits.
“I think everybody should like everybody.”
This quote speaks to Warhol’s inclusive philosophy when it came to both people and art. He believed that everyone had something valuable to contribute, and that art should be accessible to everyone – not just elites.
Andy Warhol quotes on fame
Andy Warhol popularized the phrase “15 minutes of fame.” The idea behind the saying is that in today’s media-saturated society, everyone is able to achieve a level of celebrity or notoriety. Here are some Andy Warhol quotes about fame:
“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”
Warhol’s words still ring true today. In the age of social media, anyone can achieve a brief moment of fame. But as Warhol himself predicted, it rarely lasts longer than 15 minutes.
“Fame is like a machine that you go into and it grinds you up.”
“I never met a person I couldn’t call a genius.”
“Fame is like a virginity; it’s not lost all at once, you lose it in little pieces over time.”
This quote suggests that fame is something that is slowly lost over time. Warhol believed that fame was something that could be slowly eroded by the demands of the public and the media.
“I always thought I’d like my own tombstone to be blank. No epitaph and no name.”
“Famous people have no privacy.”
“I don’t mind being born at the bottom of the heap. I just don’t want to stay there.”
“Fame is like a condom. It’s better when it’s not used.”
“I’m so sick of people saying that about me – that I’m only interested in 15 minutes of fame. It’s not true!”
“Fame is like a huge bonfire that you can see for miles and miles.”
“The idea is to be very near it so that people can feel the heat.”
Warhol understood that fame is not something that can be pursued; it’s something that happens to you as a result of your talent or your actions.
Famous Andy Warhol quotes
In the late 1960’s, pop artist Andy Warhol began mass-producing colorful prints with famous quotes. The prints were simple, yet powerful and often featured Warhol’s own words of wisdom. Here are some of our favorite Andy Warhol quotes on prints.
“I am a deeply superficial person.”
People often say that Warhol was ahead of his time, and I believe that is true. He understood the power of surface and appearance long before we did. He was able to see beyond the facade of celebrity and understand the deeper meaning behind it all.
“It takes a long time to become young.”
“I’m not afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”
“I want to be a machine, and feel no pain.”
This famous Warhol quote perfectly encapsulates his approach to both art and life. For Warhol, art was about mass production and he saw himself as a machine that could churn out prints quickly and efficiently. This attitude led to him becoming one of the most successful and prolific artists of his generation.
And here some And Warhol quotes related to this subject:
“I think that when you do something in print, it has a different feeling from when you do it on canvas.”
“Prints aren’t really art. They’re more like ideas.”
“I think that if you can’t appreciate the beauty in a brushstroke, then you’re never going to appreciate the beauty in anything.”
“When I do a print, I’m not trying to make a drawing or painting or anything else.”
“I’m not interested in whether a painting looks like something or not. I want it to look like a painting.”
Andy Warhol quotes on love
Andy Warhol was an artist who was ahead of his time. He is often quoted on love and other topics. His quotes are thought provoking and sometimes controversial. Here some of Andy Warhol quotes on love:
“Love is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you’re born with, it’s something that you grow into.”
“I have been warning people for years about falling in love. I tell them all: don’t do it! You’ll get hurt.”
“Love doesn’t make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile.”
“The most exciting thing is not doing it. If you fall in love with someone and never do it, it’s much more exciting.”
“People should fall in love with their eyes closed.”
When you fall in love with your eyes closed, you’re not distracted by looks or material things. Instead, you’re able to focus on the person’s inner beauty and what really matters. So if you’re looking for true love, don’t be afraid to close your eyes and let yourself fall head over heels.
“There should be a course in the first grade on love.”
“Fantasy love is much better than reality love. Never doing it is very exciting. The most exciting attractions are between two opposites that never meet.”
“I wonder if it’s possible to have a love affair that lasts forever.”
“The biggest price you pay for love is that you have to have somebody around, you can’t be on your own, wich is always so much better.
“Love and sex can go together and sex and unlove can go together and love and unsex can go together. But personal love and personal sex is bad.”
Andy Warhol quotes about life
In addition to being one of the most prolific and iconic artists of the 20th century, Andy Warhol was also a sage when it came to offering up quotable nuggets about life. Here are some Andy Warhol quotes about living your best life:
“The idea is not to live forever, it is to create something that will.”
This quote speaks to Warhol’s philosophy on life and art. For Warhol, the point was not to simply exist, but to create something that would outlast him.
“Isn’t life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?”
“Sometimes the little times you don’t think are anything while they’re happening turn out to be what marks a whole period of your life.”
“And your own life while it’s happening to you never has any atmosphere until it’s a memory.”
“I broke something and realized I should break something once a week to remind me how fragile life is.”
“Remember, they’ve never seen you before in their life.”
“People need to be made more aware of the need to work at learning how to live because life is so quick and sometimes it goes away too quickly.”
“I’m seeking out a new way to live and if it’s surfing, that’s the way I’ll do it. I’ll be a surfer for the rest of my life.”
“People sometimes say that the way things happen in the movies is unreal, but actually, it’s the way things happen to you in life that’s unreal. The movies make emotions look strong and real, whereas when things really do happen to you, it’s like you’re watching television – you don’t feel anything.”
“I really do live for the future, because when I’m eating a box of candy, I can’t wait to taste the last piece.”
Final thought
Andy Warhol quotes provide a unique perspective on art and the world. His views on fame and love are particularly interesting, and his thoughts on life are both dark and humorous. His quotes are still relevant today and can be applied to many situations. Warhol was ahead of his time and his work continues to inspire people all over the world.
We hope you have enjoyed our collection of Andy Warhol quotes and get inspired to create your own art after reading these quotes. Which of these quotes resonated with you the most? Write your thought in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
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