Capitalism And Andy Warhol's Gold Marilyn Monroe

How Capitalism and Art Created Idols

Capitalism and art are not usually thought of as being strongly connected. Capitalism is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “an economic system characterized by private or corporation ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision rather than by state control, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly in a free market” (“Capitalism”). Even though by this definition, capitalism has nothing to do with art, it does not mean that the two topics are not connected, as seen in pieces such as Jeff Koons’ “Michael and Bubbles” and Andy Warhol’s “Gold Marilyn Monroe”. These works depict cultural icons who are also true capitalists in their own

The piece was made quickly after the actress’s death, arguably during the height of her career. The silkscreen print, while simple, seems to be a celebration of Monroe’s life. In the book “Modern Art in the Common Culture”, the author, Thomas Crow, discusses topics usually picked by Warhol: “…it fosters critical or subversive apprehension of mass culture and the power of the image as a commodity” (Crow 49). In Warhol’s “Gold Marilyn Monroe”, he notes the power of the image of a celebrity such as Monroe and how someone of her fame can become a commodity. This notion of an artist making a person into a commodity for the sake of making a profit also directly relates to companies making a profit from that

Both pieces acknowledge the mass production vital to capitalism, to the creation of an icon in modern society. Koons is praising someone he personally idolizes, and has captured his idol as seen through Koons’ eyes as a consumer (“Jeff Koons: A Retrospective”). Koons’ piece demonstrates how his art’s positive portrayal of a celebrity can further advance that celebrity as an idol by turning them into a newly created physical object of desire, of