The Andy Warhol Conundrum

The Andy Warhol Conundrum or “Yourself vs Your Work.”

I have a big confession to make. I don’t like Andy Warhol. Yes, I’ve seen his documentaries. Yes, I’ve seen his art online and in person. Yes, I like pop art in general. The one thing that always bugged me about him was that he slowly started to become the center of his art. It was always at the end of the day about him and his haircut. His intense stares. His weird parties. Is that art in of itself? I don’t know!

(By the way, I’m totally biased. Salvador Dali did something similar but I for some reason respect him and his work more so this is absolutely unfounded and a personal preference. Don’t come at me, Andy stans!)

Frustratingly, this idea of self-branding happens all the time now. Artists or marketing folks (ME) can’t necessarily slink off into the background if we want work. We have to look the part, say the right things, and dance the night away at Studio 54 to get noticed. I struggle finding the balance of what to share about myself, how I look and how I move through the world and whether or not that represents the capacity of my work ethic or skill set. Does it MATTER that I keep cutting my own bangs at 2am? Does it MATTER that I don’t understand fashion? Does it MATTER that I only have one tattoo instead of strategically placed ones? Does it MATTER that I’m overweight?