Andrew Warhol (August
6, 1928 – February 22, 1987), better known as Andy
Warhol, was an American artist who was a central
figure in the movement known as Pop art. After a
successful career as a commercial illustrator,
Warhol became famous worldwide for his work as a
painter, an avant-garde filmmaker, a record
producer, an author, and a public figure known for
his presence in wildly diverse social circles that
included bohemian street people, distinguished
intellectuals, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy
aristocrats. A controversial figure during his
lifetime (his work was often derided by critics as
a hoax or "put-on"), Warhol has been the subject
of numerous retrospective exhibitions, books and
documentary films since his death in 1987. He is
generally acknowledged as one of the most
influential artists of the twentieth
century[citation needed
