About Andy Warhol

When Warhol first exhibited these Campbell’s Soup Cans in 1962, they were displayed together on shelves, like products in a grocery aisle. At the time, the Campbell’s Soup Company sold 32 soup varieties; each canvas corresponds to a different flavor. [1]

Warhol spent time as a commercial illustrator and was veery familiar with consumerism and advertising, this is something he drew from when creating the pieces. [1]

Because Warhol was already an extremely successful consumer ad designer, he used the techniques of his trade to create an image that was both easily recognizable and visually stimulating. He was well versed in the concepts of the advertising industry, which was currently invading the American psyche with its promise of happiness through abundant consumerism. He mirrored this by painting soup cans on thirty-two canvases aligned on a wall to denote the experience of being in a well-lit supermarket. With this installation, Warhol became credited with envisioning a new type of art that glorified (and also criticized) the nation’s impetus toward consumption.

Warhol would go on to say about his ethos of putting ordinary items front and center, “I just paint things I always thought were beautiful, things you use every day and never think about.”

Synthetic polymer paint on thirty-two canvases – The Albright Knox Gallery, Buffalo, New York” [2]

For more on Andy Warhol and his like check out his the documentary Andy Warhol’s Factory People.

The Pieces

Campbell’s Soup Company

[3]

Andy Warhol: Campbell’s Soup Cans 1962

[1]

Campbell’s Soup Company Support Personnel

Campbell’s Soup Company Commercial Illustrator/Designer

Printing Company

Andy Warhol’s Support Personnel

Campbell’s Soup Company Commercial Illustrator/Designer

Printing Company

“Factory People” (Members of his studio which was called The Factory)

Maker of printing screens

Maker of screen printing ink

How did Campbell’s Soup Feel?

Here is an alleged note from the Campbell’s Soup Company to Andy Warhol:

[4]

There were no lawsuits filed against Andy Warhol for this work. Campbell’s may have seen it as free advertising from a very well known artist at the time.

Read an article about Campbell’s soup in 2012 releasing special edition Andy Warhol soups. 

Works Cited

[1] https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/andy-warhol-campbells-soup-cans-1962

[2] http://www.theartstory.org/artist-warhol-andy-artworks.htm#pnt_1

[3] https://www.campbells.com/campbell-soup/condensed/chicken-noodle-soup/

[4] http://media.rhizome.org/blog/8255/soup.jpeg