 Watch the video “Tribute to Andy Warhol” and try to guess Who was Andy Warhol and
describe his work (use the art and entertainment vocabulary)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VII2-LnxvR4
Andy Warhol (1928-1987) - Icon of the Pop Art Movement
Andy Warhol was the most popular figure in the pop art movement that came up in the
1950s in the United States and Great Britain. During his career he produced
paintings, films, commercials, print ads and other works of art.
Andy Warhol’s parents came to America from Czechoslovakia at the beginning of the
20th century. As a boy Andy liked to draw and cut up pictures. The family lived in
Pittsburgh, where Warhol’s father worked in a coal mine.
While in high school Warhol took art classes and drew sketches. He liked to go to the
movies and started collecting fan articles of famous movies and stars. These objects
appeared later on in Warhol’s works.
Warhol studied art in Pittsburgh and after moving to New York in 1949 he began work as an illustrator for
magazines such as the New Yorker or Vogue. During this time he started using a special technique to draw images
for ads. Andy Warhol became unsatisfied with this job and wanted to have his pictures shown in art galleries.
During the 1960s Andy Warhol concentrated on painting realistic pictures of everyday items. This style became
known as pop art. Among his most famous paintings were comic strips, images of Marylyn Monroe, Muhammad Ali, and
Coca Cola bottles. His probably best known painting was the famous Campbell soup can. In his drawings Warhol
simplified objects and portraits and painted them in many different colors.
The center of Warhol’s life was his art studio, called the Factory. There he met many other famous artists and
celebrities. The Factory was also used as a film studio in which Andy Warhol produced many of his films.
In 1968 a frustrated actress, Valerie Solanas, walked into Warhol’s studio and shot the artist. Although he had
already been pronounced dead, doctors managed to reanimate him and save his life. Warhol never fully recovered
from this incident.
During the 1970s and 80s Warhol continued to paint with the same silk screen technique that had made him popular
but, in some way, his career was declining. In 1987 Warhol died at the age of 58 during a routine operation.
Andy Warhol had a unique personality. He was a declared homosexual who liked to be famous and stand in the
spotlights. He liked to be surrounded by flashy characters like Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison.
The Andy Warhol Museum, in Pittsburgh is the largest art museum dedicated to one single artist. It holds more than
12,000 works of the icon of pop art. The highest-priced painting is Eight Elvises , images of Elvis Presley, which was
sold for over 100 million dollars.
http://www.english-online.at/art-architecture/andy-warhol/andy-warhol-icon-of-pop-art-movement.htm
1°) Identify the document
 .
2°) Read the text and underline the words referring to ART
Find the right definition
Recover :
to go down
art gallery :
building in which pictures and paintings are shown to the public
commercial :
idol, famous person
decline :
method of drawing
comic strip :
famous person who is still alive
celebrity :
to become healthy after an illness
technique :
something that happened
incident :
series of pictures that tell a story
icon :
advertisement on television or on the radio
sketches :
simple drawing that does not show much detail
3°) Complete the grid down below
Birth and social
background(origine
sociale)
Education
Personnality
Hobbies
Occupation
Works of Art
Today
4°) Give a definition for POP ART MOUVEMENT/ARTIST;
5°) Quel est le temps dominant du texte? Justifie.
 Pour présenter la biographie et l’oeuvre d’un artiste, j’utilise:
6°) Written work test: Using all you know about Warhol’s life and work write a text. Describe his work(s) of art you
like best.
7°) Oral work: Comment/present the video “Tribute to Andy Warho”l
Andy Warhol (1928-1987) - Icon of the Pop Art Movement
Andy Warhol was the most popular figure in the pop art movement that came up in the
1950s in the United States and Great Britain. During his career he produced
paintings, films, commercials, print ads and other works of art.
Andy Warhol’s parents came to America from Czechoslovakia at the beginning of the
20th century. As a boy Andy liked to draw and cut up pictures. The family lived in
Pittsburgh, where Warhol’s father worked in a coal mine.
While in high school Warhol took art classes and drew sketches. He liked to go to the
movies and started collecting fan articles of famous movies and stars. These objects
appeared later on in Warhol’s works.
Warhol studied art in Pittsburgh and after moving to New York in 1949 he began work as an illustrator for
magazines such as the New Yorker or Vogue. During this time he started using a special technique to draw images
for ads. Andy Warhol became unsatisfied with this job and wanted to have his pictures shown in art galleries.
During the 1960s Andy Warhol concentrated on painting realistic pictures of everyday items. This style became
known as pop art. Among his most famous paintings were comic strips, images of Marylyn Monroe, Muhammad Ali, and
Coca Cola bottles. His probably best known painting was the famous Campbell soup can. In his drawings Warhol
simplified objects and portraits and painted them in many different colors.
The center of Warhol’s life was his art studio, called the Factory. There he met many other famous artists and
celebrities. The Factory was also used as a film studio in which Andy Warhol produced many of his films.
In 1968 a frustrated actress, Valerie Solanas, walked into Warhol’s studio and shot the artist. Although he had
already been pronounced dead, doctors managed to reanimate him and save his life. Warhol never fully recovered
from this incident.
During the 1970s and 80s Warhol continued to paint with the same silk screen technique that had made him popular
but, in some way, his career was declining. In 1987 Warhol died at the age of 58 during a routine operation.
Andy Warhol had a unique personality. He was a declared homosexual who liked to be famous and stand in the
spotlights. He liked to be surrounded by flashy characters like Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison.
The Andy Warhol Museum, in Pittsburgh is the largest art museum dedicated to one single artist. It holds more than
12,000 works of the icon of pop art. The highest-priced painting is Eight Elvises, images of Elvis Presley, which was
sold for over 100 million dollars.
http://www.english-online.at/art-architecture/andy-warhol/andy-warhol-icon-of-pop-art-movement.htm
3°) Complete the grid down below
Birth and social
background(origine
Was born in 1928 in Pittsburgh in the
sociale)
His parents were immigrants from..
USA
Grew up in a poor family/belonged to the low social class
Education
Went to High School
Took art classes
Studied art at university
Personnality
Was a declared homosexual
Liked to be famous
Liked to stand in the spotlight
Was outgoing
Hobbies
Liked to go to the movies and to collect fan articles of famous movie stars.
Liked to cut up pictures
Occupation
Was an illustrator for magazines such as the New Yorker and Vogue
Was a photographer, his pictures were shown in Art Gallery
Produced films
painted
Drew sketches
Drew simplified objects and portraits and painted them
Was an illustrator for magazines
Was a photographer
Painted realistic pictures of everyday item.
Painted comics trips
Painted portraits of celebrities
Painted coca cola bottles and tomato soup cans
Produced films
Painted with the silk screen technique
Works of Art
Today
Still famous
A museum in Pittsburgh
4°) Give a definition for POP ART MOUVEMENT/ARTIST;
Pop art is painting realistic pictures of everyday items such as portraits and coca cola bottles
and campbell soup cans. This art came up in the 1950s in the US and Great Britain
5°) Quel est le temps dominant du texte? Justifie.
6°) Oral/written work: Comment the video Tribute to Andy Warhol
LEXIQUE
NOM
Pop art movement/Career
painting/films/commercials/print
ads/works of art/pictures/sketches
VERBE
ADJECTIF
To produce/to draw/to cut up
Famous/realistic/special
To take art classes/to collect/
To study art/to show/to paint
Different/highest-priced
Movies/stars/illustrator/images
Technique/art gallery/items/
Comic strips/colors/portraits/artist
Painter/film studio/celebrities/films
Silk screen technique/art museum
Characters/icon
LEXIQUE
NOM
Pop art movement/Career
painting/films/commercials/print
ads/works of art/pictures/sketches
Movies/stars/illustrator/images
Technique/art gallery/items/
Comic strips/colors/portraits/artist
Painter/film studio/celebrities/films
Silk screen technique/art museum
Characters/icon
VERBE
ADJECTIF
To produce/to draw/to cut up
Famous/realistic/special
To take art classes/to collect/
To study art/to show/to paint
Different/highest-priced