Kanye vs Warhol

In my mind I am formulating an essay describing Kanye West and Andy Warhol in like terms. I will probably receive backlash from fans of Warhol and fans of Kanye. It was sparked by the end of this interview with Kanye for his COMPLEX photo shoot.



The comparison resides in the space of celebrity persona. Andy Warhol was not Warhol because of his work. He was Warhol because of his identity, his never ending performance. The work of art was not the silk screens, the soup cans or the films. The work of art was the artist. It was the persona that Warhol maintained, the good and the bad.

Kanye West, like Warhol, makes art (music) and like Warhol is venturing and evolving into different avenues with his artwork. But it seems to me Kanye's goal isn't his next album, it's him. He is trying to become (and I might argue, succeeded) in becoming his own greatest work. Kanye West is not KANYE WEST on the caliber of his music alone, but rather his interpretation of himself.

However, Kanye and Warhol differ greatly in the persona's they achieved. While both share the captive audience of popular culture, they acknowledge their roles quite differently. Warhol down played everything he did, which I believe was his genius. If someone accused him of ruining fine art he might smile and agree. He was notorious at not being able to be nailed down. He acted as a vessel, where he said "I am what you want me to be," and was unapologetic. This frustrated his critics and awed his admirers.


Kanye, on the other hand, is hyper-aware of his status, and extremely responsive to his perceived importance in the main stream. He is NOT what you want him to be, which is a grateful, submissive and thankful celebrity. He is a mega-star who believes (or would lead us to believe that he believes) that he is superior. And therefore his critics hate him for it, and he leaves his admirer's in awe. But I think he is savvy like Warhol. He's figured out that his hard work and his creative output are less important than his attitude about them.

Anyway, this is something I might explore further, type up, and submit to music and culture magazines in order to pay for a month's supply of Taco Bell.

Also, I'd like to note that I'm not making value judgements about either artist's talent, but just about their ingenuity in the realm of celebrity status.