Karina Klesko

Pin-ups, A Matter of Taste

OF COURSE, SHOES! Those Glorious ADIDAS^® SUPERSTAR SHOES!

Andy Warhol’s beginning path to fame was as a commercial artist for a shoe company, the first I. Miller.

Warhol Museum
27 pairs of well-worn 
zipped rock and cowboy boots
pounded the pavements
in the hungry years 

Warhol’s first independent work of art was of himself creating a polished veneer, a mask where he could see everyone’s reactions, but they could not evaluate his methods or reasonings, or his personage.

Was the world merely a reflection of Warhol’s imaginings or were his imaginings a reflection of what the world was to become?

In this same time period, Hugh Hefner was a freelance photographer, photographing nude women, another elusive art form at that same time. The first Playboy Magazine was born with Marilyn Monroe featured—Dec.10, 1953; every sighted man’s bathroom pin-up photo.

— not so fast! every?

Warhol was evolving.

his unmade bed 
renouncing the world
as if we had not seen
pin-ups of Campbell's Soup 
photos hung on the wall 

    beds of daylilies 
    anon to the moon's 
    paradoxical presence
    affording us the freedom
    of expression 

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About the Author

Karina Klesko resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has been writing most of her life. In addition to writing children’s books and Christian bible study plans, she writes rengay, tanka, renga, renku, cinquains, zipped haiku and renga, crystallines, haibun, and creates haiga. She also works with young children developing haiku learning exercises.

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