Humble beginnings

For most, the name Andy Warhol stirs up visions of iconic Pop art, Studio 54, and the experimental collaborations at The Factory. Though the groundbreaking artist’s legacy may be defined by these associations, his origin story starkly contrasts with his famous lifestyle. Now on view at the AGO, the blockbuster exhibition Andy Warhol boldly examines the personal, social and political backdrop that influenced Warhol’s innovative art – including his humble upbringing in depression-era Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Born August 6, 1928, in a small two-bedroom apartment, Andrew Warhola was the youngest of three children. His parents, Andrej and Julia Warhola, emigrated from the Ruthenian village of Mikova (now Eastern Slovakia) roughly a decade before. The Warholas were an archetypal working-class American family of the era, with Andrej labouring as a construction worker while Julia tended to the children at home. Devoutly religious, the family practiced Byzantine Catholicism, regularly attending mass and observing their Eastern European heritage. Warhol’s Catholic roots remained a staple of his identity for the rest of his life and career, often referenced in his work. 

During his childhood, Warhol suffered from the neurological disorder Sydenham's chorea (sometimes known as St. Vitus' Dance), and was occasionally forced to stay home from school to be nursed by his mother. This allowed his love affair with pop culture to blossom, as he would spend such days voraciously reading comic books and Hollywood magazines, making paper cut-outs. Though money was tight, Warhol’s parents noticed his affinity for the arts and bought him his first camera at age eight. Shortly after, he began attending free children’s art classes at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, receiving his first-ever formal art training.    

Warhol’s father passed away in 1942, leaving the-then 14-year-old in a single-parent household with two siblings. Fortunately, Andrej Warhola believed in his son’s artistic abilities and had been saving money towards Warhol’s post-secondary education for a number of years. After graduating high school in 1945, Warhol attended college at the prestigious Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he completed a degree in pictorial design. With a new diploma to pair with his potent artistic sensibilities, he was ready to leave Pittsburgh in search of greener pastures. 

In 1949, Andy arrived in New York City with big dreams. It was at this time he officially removed the “a” from the end of his surname, rebranding himself as he began the first chapter of his monumental narrative in Manhattan. Warhol moved in with a former classmate and embarked on a career as a commercial artist. He worked as a window-dresser but found his greatest success in illustration, getting his first big break working on a story for Glamour Magazine. During the 1950s, he became an award-winning illustrator with an impressive client roster including Tiffany & Co., I. Miller Shoes, Fleming-Joffe, Bonwit Teller, Columbia Records, and Vogue. By the time the '60s approached, Warhol had switched his focus to the Pop art movement; he was primed to create the work that would later transform him into a cultural icon.         

Don’t miss the career retrospective exhibition, Andy Warhol, on view now at the AGO until October 28.