Five excellent fictional portrayals of Andy Warhol
There are a few artists whose names ring in the ears of almost every inhabitant on Earth. Say, Leonardo Da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, or Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol is arguably the most recognisable 20th Century name in the history of art, perhaps alongside Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.
Warhol was the leading figurehead of the pop art movement, a branch of contemporary visual art that examined the influence of advertising and celebrity culture on the conscious psyche of modern society. His ridiculously well-known 1962 painting ‘Campbell’s Soup Cans’ is a perfect example.
Warhol also gained notoriety for hosting parties at his The Factory studio in New York City, where the attendees included intellectuals, bohemians, drag queens, artists, celebrities and people of considerable wealth. Amongst those were The Velvet Underground, who Warhol managed and produced in the 1960s.
Today is what would have been Andy Warhol’s 94th birthday. So to commemorate the day, let’s look at some of these brilliant (and hilarious) fictional portrayals of the legendary pop artist.
Five excellent portrayals of Andy Warhol:
Hank Azaria in The Simpsons episode ‘Mom and Pop Art’ (1999)
After Homer has feelings of inadequacy following his visit to the Springfield Art Museum, he has a terrible dream in which artworks are viciously attacking him. Warhol, voiced by Hank Azaria, attacks Homer with… you guessed it, a can of Campbell’s soup.
The vision of Warhol’s attack, fortunately, wakes Homer up. Warhol would most likely have loved being turned into a cartoon. The Simpsons regularly featured famous artists, including Jasper Johns, who voiced himself.
Bill Hader in Men in Black III (2012)
In the third instalment of the classic intergalactic special agent film series, Agent J – Will Smith – heads back in time to find his partner, Agent K. He ends up in 1969 at a party at Warhol’s The Factory in New York City.
Warhol, played by Bill Hader, is taking photographs of young models on an old-style camera. The agents approach him for interrogation, to which Hader’s Warhol hilariously replies, “No questions, no answers, just being.”
Max Bringelson in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
When Austin Powers heads to the Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club in search of Dr Evil, he gets distracted by the fabulous party unfolding there. given Power’s position in 1960s society, it seems only fitting that he should be given access to Warhol.
Sat next to Powers at one point sits the legendary pop artist, played by Max Bringelson, who looks forlornly at the rest of the party whilst tucking into, yes, a can of Campbell’s soup. What else?
Crispin Glover in The Doors (1991)
After The Doors’ meteoric rise to fame in the 1960s, they began to rub shoulders with the art, music and fashion elite. In Oliver Stone’s biopic of the band, Jim Morrison longs to stay at a party hosted by Warhol.
Morrison, played by Val Kilmer, stumbles into a room at the party and meets Warhol, played by Crispin Glover, who is only too happy to meet him. However, Warhol isn’t the only star at the party, and Kilmer’s Morrison later receives oral sex from Nico of The Velvet Underground fame.
David Bowie in Basquiat (1996)
Who better to play one of the most iconic artists of all time than another of the most iconic artists of all time? Roger Ebert gave the highest of praise to Bowie for his portrayal, saying that he “comes across as preternaturally detached, but also as gentle, open, accepting, and instinctively perceptive about new directions in art.”
Basquiat is a 1996 film directed by Julian Schnabel, telling the story of the neo-expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat with Jeffrey Wright taking on the titular role. The film had an incredible cast, including Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Willem Dafoe and Benicio del Toro.
