Career Timeline of Andy Warhol: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Andy Warhol, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a pivotal American artist, film director, and producer, renowned as a leading figure in the Pop Art movement. His work examined the intersection of art, advertising, and celebrity, utilizing diverse media like painting, sculpture, photography, and film. Notable creations include 'Campbell's Soup Cans' and 'Marilyn Diptych,' alongside experimental films like 'Chelsea Girls.' Warhol's multimedia events, such as the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, and his involvement in the erotic film 'Blue Movie' highlight his influential role in shaping artistic and cultural landscapes of the 20th century.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

April 1961: First Pop Art Displayed

In April 1961, Andy Warhol's first pop art paintings were displayed as the backdrop for New York Department Store Bonwit Teller's window display.

November 23, 1961: Payment for Soup Can Idea

On November 23, 1961, Andy Warhol wrote Muriel Latow a check for $50 for coming up with the idea of the soup cans as subject matter for his art.

1962: Campbell's Soup Can Painting

Andy Warhol's painting Campbell's Soup Can With Peeling Label was completed in 1962.

1962: Marilyn Series Creation

In 1962, Andy Warhol created his famous Marilyn series, including the Flavor Marilyns, which were named after various candy Life Savers flavors.

1962: Varied Subject Matter and Techniques

In 1962, Andy Warhol produced both comic and serious works, using techniques like silkscreens and bright colors to depict celebrities, everyday objects, and images of suicide, car crashes, and disasters.

1962: Lemon Marilyn Painting

Lemon Marilyn was painted in 1962 by Andy Warhol. In May 2007, it sold for $28 million.

1962: Men in Her Life and Coca-Cola (4) Created

Men in Her Life, based on Elizabeth Taylor and Coca-Cola (4) were created by Andy Warhol in 1962.

1963: Eight Elvises Creation

Eight Elvises was created in 1963 by Andy Warhol. The work depicts Elvis Presley in a gunslinger pose.

1963: First Self-Portrait Painted

From 1963 to 1964, Andy Warhol painted his first self-portrait, which sold for $38.4 million in May 2011.

1963: Green Car Crash Painting

Green Car Crash was painted in 1963 by Andy Warhol. In May 2007, it sold for $71.1 million.

1963: Liz (Colored Liz) Painting

In 1963, Andy Warhol painted Liz (Colored Liz), a painting of Elizabeth Taylor. This painting was sold in 2007 for $23.7 million.

1964: First Self-Portrait Painted

From 1963 to 1964, Andy Warhol painted his first self-portrait, which sold for $38.4 million in May 2011.

1964: Orange Marilyn Creation

Orange Marilyn was created in 1964 by Andy Warhol. It depicts Marilyn Monroe.

1966: Chelsea Girls Film

In 1966, Andy Warhol created the film Chelsea Girls.

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February 1968: First Solo Museum Exhibition

In February 1968, Andy Warhol's first solo museum exhibition was held at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm.

October 1969: Opening of Raid the Icebox

In October 1969, Andy Warhol's curated exhibition Raid the Icebox opened at Rice University's Institute for the Arts in Houston.

1969: Founding of Interview Magazine

In 1969, Andy Warhol and John Wilcock founded Interview magazine, initially titled inter/VIEW: A Monthly Film Journal.

1969: Photography and Movie Deal Discussions

In 1969, Andy Warhol traveled to Los Angeles to discuss a movie deal with Columbia Pictures. He also used a Polaroid camera to document his recovery, and some of his photographs were published in Esquire magazine.

1969: Braniff International Commercials

In 1969, Andy Warhol was commissioned by Braniff International to appear in two television commercials to promote the airline's "When You Got It – Flaunt It" campaign, created by Lois Holland Calloway. One commercial paired Warhol with Sonny Liston, and another featured Warhol being greeted by a Braniff hostess.

1970: Traveling of Raid the Icebox

In 1970, Andy Warhol's curated exhibition Raid the Icebox traveled to the Isaac Delgado Museum in New Orleans.

1970: Auction Record for Living American Artist

In 1970, Andy Warhol's painting Campbell's Soup Can With Peeling Label (1962) sold for $60,000 at auction, setting a new high price for a work by a living American artist.

1970: Sunday B Morning Screenprints

In 1970, screens and film matrixes used to produce original Warhol works in the 1960s were taken to Europe for the production of Warhol screenprints under the name "Sunday B Morning." Unauthorized versions were later produced.

1970: Retrospective at Pasadena Art Museum

In 1970, the Pasadena Art Museum organized a major retrospective of Andy Warhol's work, which then traveled in the United States and abroad.

May 1971: Premiere of Andy Warhol's Pork

In May 1971, Andy Warhol's theater production, Andy Warhol's Pork, opened at the La MaMa Experimental Theatre in New York.

August 1971: Andy Warhol's Pork in London

In August 1971, Andy Warhol's production Andy Warhol's Pork was brought to the Roundhouse in London.

1971: Sticky Fingers Album Cover

In 1971, Andy Warhol created the cover concept and photography for The Rolling Stones' album Sticky Fingers.

1971: Retrospective Exhibition in London and New York

In 1971, a major retrospective of Andy Warhol's work was mounted at the Tate Gallery in London and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The Whitney show featured Warhol's Cow Wallpaper (1966) as the backdrop for his paintings.

October 1972: Inaugural show at the Art Museum of South Texas

In October 1972, Andy Warhol's work was included in the inaugural show at the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi, Texas.

1973: Mao Portraits

Between 1972 and 1973, Andy Warhol created a series of portraits of Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong.

February 1974: Installation of Mao portraits at Musée Galliera

In February 1974, some of Andy Warhol's Mao Zedong portraits were installed at the Musée Galliera in Paris.

January 1975: Opening of Man on the Moon

In January 1975, the Andy Warhol-produced Broadway musical Man on the Moon by John Philips opened at the Little Theatre in New York.

September 1975: Book Tour for The Philosophy of Andy Warhol

In September 1975, Andy Warhol went on an eight-city U.S. book tour for his book The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B & Back Again), followed by stops in Italy, France, and England.

1976: Portraits of Warhol and Jamie Wyeth

In 1976, Andy Warhol and Jamie Wyeth were commissioned to paint each other's portraits by the Coe Kerr Gallery in Manhattan.

January 1977: Exhibition Opening in Kuwait

In January 1977, Andy Warhol traveled to Kuwait for the opening of his exhibition at the Dhaiat Abdulla Al Salem Gallery.

December 1977: Oxidations Series Begins

In December 1977, Andy Warhol began the Oxidations series, initially using his own urine to prime canvases with copper-based paint, later employing others for this purpose.

1978: Initial BMW Art Car Commission

In 1978, Andy Warhol was initially asked to paint a BMW 320i for the BMW Art Car project, but the car model was changed and it didn't qualify for the race that year.

November 1979: Book Tour for Exposures

In November 1979, Andy Warhol embarked on a three-week book tour in the US for his book Exposures, which contained his photographs of famous friends and acquaintances.

November 1979: Exhibition of Portraits of the '70s

In November 1979, the Whitney Museum of American Art mounted the exhibition Andy Warhol: Portraits of the '70s, celebrating the celebrity of the decade.

1979: BMW Art Car Project

In 1979, Andy Warhol was commissioned to paint a BMW M1 Group 4 racing version for the BMW Art Car project. He painted directly onto the automobile himself, taking only 23 minutes.

1980: Exhibition Ten Portraits of Jews

In 1980, Andy Warhol's exhibition Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century at the Jewish Museum in Manhattan was panned by critics.

1980: Founding of the New York Academy of Art

In 1980, The New York Academy of Art was founded in part by Andy Warhol with the mission to "revive traditional methods of training artists."

January 1981: Appearance on BBC's Arena

In January 1981, Andy Warhol appeared on the BBC series Arena in a scene with writers William S. Burroughs and Victor Bockris.

October 1981: Saturday Night Live segment

In October 1981, Andy Warhol filmed a segment for the sketch comedy television show Saturday Night Live.

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1982: Jean-Michel Basquiat Portrait

In 1982, Andy Warhol created Jean-Michel Basquiat, a portrait using silkscreen over an oxidized copper "piss painting."

April 1983: Warhol's Animals: Species at Risk

In April 1983, Andy Warhol's exhibition Warhol's Animals: Species at Risk, featuring endangered species silkscreen prints, was held at New York City's American Museum of Natural History.

1983: TDK Videotape commercial

In 1983, Andy Warhol appeared in a commercial for TDK Videotape.

1983: Collaboration with Basquiat and Clemente

In 1983, Andy Warhol began collaborating with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francesco Clemente.

1983: Brooklyn Bridge Centennial Poster

In 1983, Andy Warhol was commissioned to create a poster for the centennial of the Brooklyn Bridge, which was his contribution to the 1983 New York Art Expo.

1984: Collaborative Works with Basquiat

Between 1984 and 1985, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat created a series of more than 50 large collaborative works.

1984: Sarajevo Winter Olympics Poster

In 1984, Andy Warhol teamed with other artists to contribute a Speed Skater print to the Art and Sport collection for the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, which was used for the official poster.

1984: Orange Prince Portrait

In 1984, Andy Warhol was commissioned by Vanity Fair to produce a portrait of Prince, called Orange Prince, referencing his earlier Marilyn "Flavors" series from 1962.

1984: Commission for The Last Supper Series

In 1984, Andy Warhol was commissioned to produce work based on Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper for an exhibition in Milan.

September 1985: Joint exhibition and Reigning Queens series

In September 1985, Andy Warhol's joint exhibition with Basquiat, Paintings, opened at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery to negative reviews. Also that month, his silkscreen series Reigning Queens was shown at the Leo Castelli Gallery, despite Warhol's apprehension.

1985: Collaborative Works with Basquiat

Between 1984 and 1985, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat created a series of more than 50 large collaborative works.

1985: Diet Coke Commercial and The Love Boat appearance

In 1985, Andy Warhol appeared in a Diet Coke commercial. He also made a guest appearance on The Love Boat's 200th episode, where a character feared he would reveal her past.

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1986: Purple Self-Portrait Painted

A purple self-portrait of Andy Warhol was painted in 1986. In May 2010, it was sold for $32.6 million.

January 1987: Last Exhibition Opening in Milan

In January 1987, Andy Warhol traveled to Milan for the opening of his last exhibition, Last Supper, at the Palazzo delle Stelline.

January 1987: The Last Supper Exhibition Opens

In January 1987, the Milan exhibition of Andy Warhol's Last Supper series opened at the Palazzo delle Stelline. This was the last exhibition for both Warhol and the gallerist.

February 17, 1987: Warhol Models at Fashion Show

On February 17, 1987, Andy Warhol modeled with jazz musician Miles Davis for Koshin Satoh's fashion show at the Tunnel in New York City.

2023: Artnet Article on Drawing Techniques

According to a 2023 Artnet article, Warhol was also an incredibly talented illustrator and draughtsman. He pioneered the blotted line technique, which synthesized graphite drawing on paper with elements of printmaking.