Idol Curiosity: Andy Warhol and the Art of Secular Iconography

Abstract

This article examines issues at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality and celebrity in contemporary society. Taking Andy Warhol and Marilyn Monroe as its focus, it considers the fate of the modern-day icon. In particular, it assesses the importance of whiteness and blondness in the construction of Western iconography, and the influence of Warhol's Catholic faith upon his work.