20 Artists Who Taught Us About the Art of Celebrity

These artists take on the subjects of fame and fortune.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Last month, Lady Gaga had her friend, the artist Millie Brown, vomit bright green liquid onto her during her SXSW performance. A month prior, Shia LaBeouf’s plagiarism-turned-performance art whirlwind culminated in an exhibition "#IAMSORRY" at Cohen Gallery, where the actor donned a tuxedo and paper bag in silence. Before that, there was Jay Z’s “Picasso Baby” performance at Pace Gallery and James Franco’s numerous artistic escapades. Let's not forget Joaquin Phoenix’s bearded public outbursts as performance in 2009.

As celebrities continue to roam in the art world, let’s take a moment to consider the artists who have taught us about celebrity culture and the nature of fame including the late, great Pop artist Andy Warhol’s sly, screen-printed critiques and contemporary artist Yung Jake’s interactive investigations into modern sociability. Here are 20 Artists Who Taught Us About the Art of Celebrity.

RELATED: The Most Unlikely Celebrity Artists
RELATED: 25 Celebrities With Baller Art Collections

Candice Breitz

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Gilbert & George

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Yasumasa Morimura

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Alex Israel

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Yung Jake

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John Miller

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Elad Lassry

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Alison Jackson

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Gavin Turk

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Joe Scanlan

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Elaine Sturtevant

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Jean-Michel Basquiat

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Richard Phillips

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Jackson Pollock

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Salvador Dalí

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Jeff Koons

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Francesco Vezzoli

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Andy Warhol

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Damien Hirst

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Terry Richardson

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