Samuel Linstead-Atkinson
Connector Staff

Students, faculty and enthusiasts alike attended a presentation led by the writer and academic Louis Menand.

The talk detailed the influences and education of Andy Warhol. The artist and his association with the pop art movement inspired the Kerouac Literary Festival to host this event.

Menand began by linking Andy Warhol to figures surrounding and defining the Beat movement such as the poet Allen Ginsberg.

“It’s…a challenge to talk about Andy Warhol in the context of the Beat movement and…the figure who really connects Warhol to the Beats is Allen Ginsberg,” Menand said. This notion of Warhol being a product of a number of influences was recurrent through Menand’s presentation.

There was a deliberate emphasis on Warhol’s unique and often iconic style. “He had a distinctive, verbal style,” said Menand. This style emerged over multiple examples of the artist’s work, and the distinctive features of it were explained. Warhol’s silkscreen of a Campbell’s soup can received particular attention, as it was not only a theme through much of the Warhol’s work, but it was also referred to by several attendees of the event as a symbol of his career.

Menand also touched upon Warhol’s exploration into writing, filmmaking and even music. He recalled projects of which Warhol was associated with, like the band the Velvet Underground and a few of his radical films. Other works of Warhol were selected and analyzed, such as the Brillo Box, an exhibit composed of a cardboard box with a brand name on it. With this, Menand opened the room to the audience for questions and comments.

A few students and other attendees offered interpretations of various pieces by Warhol. Others asked the speaker about his recent background in art history and about his interest in Warhol as a writer.

After the discussion ended, Menand signed books for those who had purchased them. Menand is the author of several books, including “The Metaphysical Club.”