American, born Forest City, Pennsylvania, 1928, died 1987
Andy Warhol used the camera as a means to spontaneously record all that caught his attention. He strove to document every moment of his life, creating a remarkable visual diary in which he captured the faces of the rich and famous, the glittering New York disco scene, his day- to-day meanderings through the city, and glimpses of his world travels. His love affair with black and white photography began in 1976, when he picked up an easy-to-use Minox 35EL camera; it became his constant companion until his death at age fifty-eight. In keeping with his obsessive nature, Warhol made between 60,000 and 100,000 snapshots and Polaroids in his lifetime.