An iconic figure of pop art, Andy Warhol, who used to wander the supermarket shelves packed with goods to „steal” logos for his legendary works, such as Coca-Cola, was strangely fond of cookie cutters. On Sundays, he would wander the flea markets of New York, hunting down the most kitschy items possible.
„The cookie jar is actually a form of pop art,” said Wally Amos, Warhol's friend and founder of the Famous Amos cookie company. He also recalled that Warhol was most drawn to funny pieces. During his lifetime, Andy Warhol collected 175 ceramic dolls, including clock-shaped ones and Egg Tobiosa ones. „Growing up as the child of poor immigrants during the Great Depression, he probably saw these objects as symbols of an idealised, middle-class family with a standard of living far beyond his own family's means,” explains Lydia Lee, curator of London's Whitechapel Gallery, who opened an exhibition of artists' unusual objects in 2015.
This week, Sotheby's in Paris is auctioning off these two vases that have been sitting on the fridge of the eccentric artist for so long. The last time these objects changed hands was in 1988, when Sotheby's in New York auctioned off all of Warhol's belongings, from his salt cellar to his wristwatch. The artist's collection of jars sold for a record $247 830 (nearly 74 million forints).
(source: atlasobscura.com)
