Acrylic paintings are just beginning their journey throughout the extensive world of art history. Popularity was easily gained as artists were intrigued by the consistency, malleability, and bright pigments that were offered by this new synthetic material. It quickly became the preferred medium by many innovative artists such as Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and Mark Rothko.
Pop art pioneer Andy Warhol was attracted to acrylic paints since they embodied the message he wished to send. Cheap, fabricated, easy to manufacture paints matched the processed culture he wanted to shed a light on with his artwork. He constructed images of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Campbell’s soup cans, and car crashes to name a few.
Warhol had a shift in tone after June 1968, when he was shot three times, declared dead, and miraculously survived. He was hospitalized for 8 weeks and had to wear a surgical corset for the rest of his life. His early death 19 years later could have been avoided if he did not develop a fear of hospitals after his near death experience. In his own diary, he would state that his creativity declined because he stopped being around “creepy people” post-shooting. He switched from his more graphic statement pieces to a less aggressive approach on the state of the world and media.
