Andy Warhol is a person.
Andy Warhol ( [ ˈwɔrhɒl ] born Andrew Warhola ; August 6 , 1928 -- February 22 , 1987 ) was an American artist , director and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art . Born and raised in Pittsburgh , Warhol initially pursued a successful career as a commercial illustrator . After exhibiting his work in several galleries in the late 1950s , he began to receive recognition as an influential and controversial artist . His New York studio , The Factory , became a well-known gathering place that brought together distinguished intellectuals , drag queens , playwrights , Bohemian street people , Hollywood celebrities , and wealthy patrons .