In the 1960's, an artist painted a can of soup and it was a successful art piece. Many people have long wondered why it was so successful. The artist understood his culture, and he painted something everyone had experienced. It drew people together through their familiarity with both the soup and the company that produced it. It took several generations of people, from many parts of a country and gave them a way to define their lives as a group. People of all ages, races, creeds and backgrounds ate this soup on a regular basis. It was part of their shared culture and had unknowingly become an icon to represent this sharing. Adding it to the world of art helped with this recognition.