"An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have" -Andy Warhol

Some say they are "a good joke with a satirical point", but others see 32 canvas's worth of meaning.  The 32 Campbell's soup cans are all different paintings on 20 by 16 inch canvases.  I once read that his reasoning for painting Campbell's soup cans was because it was something that everyone in the world had in common.  Everyone from the most popular socialites to families struggling for money can eat soup.  That was also his reasoning for some of his other pieces of work, such as the Coca-Cola bottle.  The message and meaning is clean and clear, which I believe to be a positive attribute of all of Andy Warhol's work.  His piece of work is intended to be viewed by everyone of all ages, although they may not be able to understand the meaning of the work until they have matured enough.  I believe the reasoning for the work is brilliant.  I think it will always be considered "modern" because of the style and thought put behind it, even though it was created in the 60's.  It is easily recognizable by those familiar to the "art world", being an iconic expression of modern art that is fun and blatant, yet mundane.  A commercial icon, as inspiration for commercial art.  The use of commercialism as the subject matter through his "explicit" piece offended artists of his time, but his use of abstract impressionism later became his staple, aiding to establishing his reputation.