Andy Warhol
A Graphic Biography
The life and work of a classic modern artist is recounted in Andy Warhol: A Graphic Biography.
After studying art, design, and commercial art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, twenty-one-year-old Andrew Warhola Jr. moves from Pittsburgh to New York and changes his name to Andy Warhol. He thrives in advertising but is unable to find acceptance from the art world—until he combines silkscreen printing with iconic imagery, as of Campbell’s Soup cans and Marilyn Monroe, creating some of pop art’s most recognizable works. After becoming a celebrity and star-maker and associating with singers, writers, photographers, and fellow artists, Warhol continues to produce art until his death in 1987.
Warhol narrates this brisk but intimate introduction to his life and the experiences that inspired his artistic philosophy and distinctive style. Still, the book is billed as “unofficial and unauthorized”; it’s unclear how much of Warhol’s commentary was taken verbatim from interviews and how much was imagined. Its art, narrative, and overall aesthetic are much like Warhol’s work itself, forming a provocative and appealing package that presents as many questions as it does answers.
Andy Warhol: A Graphic Biography distills the enigmatic art icon’s life into a fascinating visual chronicle.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
