He elevated the Campbell's soup can into a modern work of art. Artist, filmmaker and illustrator, Andy Warhol was honored on a new commemorative postage stamp issued August 10, 2002 in Pittsburgh by the United States Postal Service.

"The Postal Service's stamp program offers Americans a diverse sampling of history, art and entertainment marking important milestones in the development of our nation," said S. David Fineman, Vice Chairman of the presidentially appointed Postal Service Board of Governors, who dedicated the stamp. "This exciting new Andy Warhol stamp evokes the free and creative spirit in this country. We're sure it will be very popular with our customers and stamp collectors."

Warhol's serial images of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and everyday objects such as Campbell's soup cans are perhaps his best known works. His career also included ventures in design, photography, film, television, writing and publishing.

The son of Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants, the artist was born Andrew Warhola on August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1949 from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) with a fine arts degree, Warhol moved to New York City and made a name for himself in the advertising world with his whimsical and award-winning illustrations.

Warhol's paintings achieved instant notoriety in 1962 with his solo exhibition of the now famous Campbell's Soup can paintings at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles. In the same year, the Stable Gallery in New York City exhibited, among other works, his Coca-Cola bottles and portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.

A shy man, who nevertheless sought publicity and fame, Warhol attracted many followers. His studio, known as the Factory, became a popular New York City haunt for an eclectic group of artists, socialites and musicians.

Andy Warhol-who died on February 22, 1987, in New York City-has remained world-famous far longer than the transitory fifteen minutes he once predicted for everyone. His influence continues in art and film, as well as in a wide range of other creative endeavors throughout contemporary popular culture.

The 37-cent stamp features Andy Warhol's Self-Portrait, 1964. Based on a photo-booth photograph, the image-silkscreen ink and synthetic polymer paint on canvas-is one of several versions in varying colors. The work is now in the collection of The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

A detail of a photograph taken by Factory photographer Billy Name and entitled Andy with Self-Portrait, 1967, appears on the selvage. There is no verso text; however, a famous Andy Warhol quotation appears on the selvage: "If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface: of my paintings and films and me, and there I am. There's nothing behind it."

Richard Sheaff was the art director and designer for this stamp.