Of “Brillo Boxes” and “Campbell’s Soup Cans” by Andy Warhol

[edhopper]

17. About Warhol

I have no problem with his work, or accepting his artistic pursuits.

My problem is his placement in post war and pop art. He only had two real artistic ideas and they were not original with him.
He did the Soup Cans and brillo boxes, then he did the silk screen portraits, and not much else. (seems he kept doing variations of the portraits until his death.)

Artist like Jasper Johns, Lichtenstein and Rauschenberg used popular culture images long before Warhol. I have even seen artist from the 30's drawings of commercial products.
So this was far from an original idea. And his work, while valid, doesn't go beyond the presentation of the idea, unlike the others I mentioned, once you get the idea, there is nothing more to look at. The work doesn't have any artistic allure of it's own. Compared to the works of his contemporary Rosenquist, also painting popular culture, but on canvases that soar with beauty and profundity.

What he was a genius at was publicity and fame, and he paved the way for the Hirsts, Koons and Kostabis of today. (which might be unforgivable.)