Book Description

One of the most eclectic, celebrated and influential figures of the second half of the twentieth century, Andy Warhol is an emblem of American culture of the sixties and seventies. The Andy Warhol Show sheds light not only on the revolutionary role that Warhol played in art but also his influence on graphic design, communication and fashion. Introduced by the editors Gianni Mercurio and Daniela Morera, the exhibition catalogue includes new essays by Bruno Bischofberger, Victor Bokris, Ronald Feldman, Glenn 'O Brien and a critical essay by Demetrio Paparoni. The main nucleus of works reproduced in this striking catalogue is impressive: in addition to the 200 paintings which span his entire career, the book showcases a rich collection of photographs, graphic works and drawings, including Warhol's early illustrations for fashion magazines. The fundamental themes of the Warhol aesthetic can be seen here in some of their most representative examples: the beauty-success-power myth (portraits of Marilyn, Liz Taylor, Elvis Presley, Jaqueline Kennedy, Mao); consumerism (Campbell's Soup, Brillo Box, Dollar Sign); advertising, serial repetition of an image, the tragic symbols of catastrophe and death (Suicide, Electric Chair); portraits of artists, dealers, friends such as Leo Castelli, Keith Haring, Dennis Hopper; the passage through abstract art (Camouflage, Shadows); collaborations with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francesco Clemente; and The Last Supper, Warhol's final series of works.