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Munich Pays an Early Birthday Tribute to Andy Warhol by Hosting “Letters to Andy” Exhibit

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Andy Warhol and his love for the Cadillac icon.
Photo: Flavor Paper

August 6th marks the birthday of famous American pop artist Andy Warhol. Born in 1928, this avant-garde boy from Pittsburgh is now internationally celebrated as one of the founders of the Pop Art Movement. Although many people might recognize him for his more famous works like Campbell’s Soup Cans, Mao, and Banana, few people are familiar with his Cadillac connection.

Happy Birthday, Andy!
Photo: Sotheby’s


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Cadillacs appeared in quite a few of Warhol’s works. His 12 Cadillacs echoes with the mass production and uniformity of American consumerism in the 60s. Another work featuring Cadillacs is Seven Cadillacs, a 1962 silkscreen done in ink. There’s also a 1962 pencil sketch simply titled Cadillac. Coupe DeVilles appear twice: first back in 1950 in some works he did for Harper’s Bazaar, then again in 1986 in his four-photograph work Sign (Keep Out).

Warhol’s Car (1958 Cadillac Coupe DeVille)
Photo: Photographer/business name


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His fascination with this car is slightly ironic, considering that he never had a driver’s license. However, perhaps he equated the Cadillac with other American icons that showed up in his art, including Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Mickey Mouse. Cadillac is definitely as Murican a car as you can get, especially during the second half of the 21st century when it permeated the car market and popular films like The Muppet Movie and The Dukes of Hazzard.

Warhol’s Eight Elvises
Photo: Andy Warhol Foundation

Cadillac and The Andy Warhol Museum celebrated the Warhol-Cadillac connection by initiating a touring collaborative art display called “Letters to Andy,” that spotlights Warhol’s personal letters as well as some of his Cadillac-featuring art pieces. The exhibit had a kickoff late last year, at the Cadillac House in Manhattan. More recently, it debuted in Germany as an early birthday tribute to Warhol and is set to hit Dubai in December of this year.


Source:
Cadillac Pressroom, AD&P, Cadillac