Andy Warhol: A Life Catalogued

    Cataloguing a Life

    Andy Warhol, one of the most impactful artists to lead the pop art movement, has catalogued his life in much the same way Nick Cave does in Faith, Hope and Carnage, albeit over a longer period of time.

    Although Warhol has been cited to perform artwork under more solitary conditions, in contrast to Cave's explicit desire to work alongside others and develop ideas in tandem, Warhol depicts the struggles he had faced in a manner highly similar to Cave's candid discussions of his grief, fears, and anxieties. A gay man and asexual, Warhol lived prior to the gay liberation movement and was unable to produce art which outwardly connected to his sexuality -- many critics and institutions rejected his pieces which focused on erotic photography and drawings of male nudes. Despite this, Warhol continued to create such art: this baseless criticism from others held no weight, stating that he "decided [he] just wasn't going to care, because those were all the things that [he] didn't want to change anyway, that [he] didn't think [he] 'should' want to change ... Other people could change their attitudes but not [him]."

    Similar to Cave, Warhol's artwork was also influenced by his faith. A Ruthenian Catholic, he described himself as a religious person and attended mass every Sunday. His later works focused heavily on religious themes, some going so far as to cause the Guggenheim to declare the work "obsessed" with faith -- in particular, the Last Supper. 

    Warhol's artwork catalogued every aspect of his life, via as many mediums as possible. From sculpture and fashion, to television and performance art, Andy Warhol cemented himself in the world of art despite the prejudice he faced at the time, and the candidness he displayed via his pieces.

Stromae: Experimentation and Breaking Boundaries

A creative that has gained traction once again in recent years is Stromae. He initially exploded onto the scene in 2009, releasing 3 albums since. In recent years, Stromae has been asked to explain his creative process and inspirations, along with the meaning behind many of his famous songs and music videos.  

He described his multicultural background and his experiences traveling when he was younger as influential. His mother often took the family abroad, and he was exposed to many different cultures as a result, which manifested a desire “to mix everything, to have the feeling that you travel but you never know where you are exactly” (Simon and Craig). This desire to break boundaries and embrace experimentation is discussed by Rubin multiple times throughout his book The Creative Act: A Way of Being. He particularly emphasizes that people “like to fit in” and that we evolve to “the boundaries and templates of the culture around us” (Rubin). Even in instances where a specific aesthetic or style is being imitated, it can, as Rubin puts it, turn into “legitimate innovation” (Rubin). Stromae experiments heavily with different musical styles and instruments and mentions that he works with a charango player from Bolivia, experiments with some Asian instruments, and is inspired by his African roots (Simon and Craig). Rubin particularly emphasizes the need for the artist to be open to the world around them, emphasizing that the artist is a conduit, namely that the world comes through us (Rubin).  

Rubin also discusses the existence of creativity in between chaos and discipline (Rubin). Stromae embodies this perfectly. His most recent album was considered experimental, including many influences and genres, however, when asked about his music, he had this to say: “I don't see my music as experimental, I think I'm always trying to do pop music. Mixing my music with traditional music, that was the goal with this album. But I don't think it's experimental, I'm not a big fan of experimental music. I'm the kind of artist that loves when a lot of people like [their music]. But, of course, I try to push boundaries” (PAPER Magazine). Stromae’s mindset towards creation is exactly what Rubin emphasizes as important in his book. He still desires to push boundaries, and remains open to the world around him, but he also has a disciplined mindset when breaking these boundaries. His pop sensibilities are an example of this discipline, whereas his openness to the world around him is an example of his embracement of chaos.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources: 

1. PAPER Magazine. “Stromae’s Global Pop World.” PAPER, 7 Mar. 2022, https://www.papermag.com/stromae-multitude-cover. 

2. Rubin, Rick. The Creative Act: A Way of Being. Penguin Press, 2023. 

3. Simon, Scott, and Andrew Craig. “Stromae: The Belgian Star Who’s Blending Beats and Cultures.” NPR, 5 Mar. 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/03/05/1084495207/stromae-the-belgian-star-whos-blending-beats-and-cultures.