Andy Warhol's death, 13 years ago, was an ignominious one: A man who had access to the best medical care, Warhol died after a routine but botched gall bladder operation.
Pop artist, experimental filmmaker and author of legendary quips, Warhol was also the Svengali behind the Velvet Underground, the Superstars of his movies and Interview magazine, a fashion periodical created to stoke the egos of the rich and famous, and to drum up trade for portraits, Warhol's main source of revenue.
Unlike any other artist before, Warhol served up the banal regurgitated images of American cultural consumerism. His greatest work, however, was probably himself, a walking, talking self-promoting pop object.