Andy Warhol, Prince of Pop

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"IN THE FUTURE EVERYBODY will be world famous for 15 minutes."

The Campbell's Soup Cans. The Marilyns. The Electric Chairs. The Flowers. The work created by Andy Warhol elevated everyday images to art, ensuring Warhol a fame that has far outlasted the 15 minutes he predicted for everyone else. His very name is synonymous with the 1960s American art movement known as Pop.

But Warhol's oeuvre was the sum of many parts. He not only produced iconic art that blended high and popular culture; he also made controversial films, starring his entourage of the beautiful and outrageous; he launched Interview, a slick magazine that continues to sell today; and he reveled in leading the vanguard of New York's hipster lifestyle. The Factory, Warhol's studio and den of social happenings, was the place to be.

Who would have predicted that this eccentric boy, the Pittsburgh-bred son of Eastern European immigrants, would catapult himself into media superstardom? Warhol's rise, from poverty to wealth, from obscurity to status as a Pop icon, is an absorbing tale--one in which the American dream of fame and fortune is played out in all of its success and its excess. No artist of the late 20th century took the pulse of his time--and ours--better than Andy Warhol.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Biographers Greenberg and Jordan (who teamed up for Chuck Close Up Close and Action Jackson) give a personable account of "the wiggy artist from Pittsburgh." In this generous book, which makes the artist's eccentricities seem more delightful than misanthropic, Warhol comes off as a social misfit to whom people gravitate. "[T]he secret of Andy's success was his own self-effacement," says his assistant, Gerard Malanga. Warhol's na vet -initially genuine, then calculated-impresses others during his indulged childhood, at art school and in his early design career. His offbeat manner captivates impresarios and opportunistic "Superstars" who flock to his work space, the Factory. Greenberg and Jordan don't tiptoe around his homosexuality, naming his lovers and also a crush on Truman Capote, who called him a "born loser." They depict his notorious Pop choices as serendipity; he seems to stumble into fortune and fame. When a boyfriend suggests that Andy buy a hairpiece, he starts wearing wigs. Stuck for ideas, he asks for advice, and a consultant changes history by saying, "You like money. You should paint that." Recollections from associates balance nicely with art reviews and descriptions of his painting, printmaking and filmmaking, although the photos and art reproductions, clustered at the end of the book, could be better placed to illustrate the text. Warhol cultivates a shallow persona and superficial art (with its "flat, thick lines, gaudy color, a machine-induced image"), but this enthusiastic bio revels in his kooky mysteriousness and renders him a role model for determined nonconformists. It makes a vibrant companion to James Warhola's picture-book memoir, Uncle Andy's. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Kathleen Karr

In tune with their subject, Greenberg and Jordan's biography of Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is a smooth, trendy read. From his sickly Pittsburgh childhood to his well-planned assault on the New York City cultural scene, the man who proclaimed, "In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes," is shown working relentlessly for his own fifteen minutes of fame. Along the way, a description of the methodology behind his most famous works—the silkscreen portraits—is given; his decadent sixties' Factory scene comes to life; interminable movies are made and flop; Interview magazine is born. The curious dichotomy of a very private person who craved the limelight is made again and again. One is left wondering whether Warhol really was a genius, or just a guy who kept saying, "I like boring things . . . I want to be a machine." The book is designed as a series of consecutive essays set off by Warhol quotes, with an art insert section. The type and layout are as cool as Warhol, though more snap would have benefited the color reproductions. 2004, Delacorte, Ages 12 up.

VOYA - Heather Hepler

Following Andy Warhol's eccentric life from his early days growing up in a grimy immigrant ghetto in Pittsburgh to his flamboyant career in the art world, this selection takes the artist's life and gives it structure beyond the flash of his pop art. Warhol managed to stand out even as a young teen, attracting editors from well-known magazines looking for something different, something fresh. Presenting a time line of his life, each chapter offers another look at the development of an artist, from Warhol's early inspiration of soup cans through his love of celebrities and on to his discovery of the silk-screening process. Touching on some of the darkness that also surrounded Warhol's life, later chapters discuss the violence, drug use, and sexual experimentation that thrived in the freeform existence of The Factory, Warhol's studio. Relying on a compilation of interviews and textual research, this look at Warhol is both informative and readable. Although not an exhaustive treatment of his work or life, it should be enough to satisfy most research needs and casual interest. A color insert of photographs and reproductions of Warhol's work is to be included but was not available for review. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2004, Random House, 176p.; Glossary. Illus. Photos. Source Notes. Further Reading., and PLB Ages 12 to 15.

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-Warhol's career spanned advertising, painting, filmmaking, and magazine publishing. This competent, well-documented biography covers his childhood and art school years in Pittsburgh, his successful career in commercial art, and his rise in the Pop Art movement. Chapters also cover his dependence on his mother; his pursuit of celebrity; the lively social, drug, and art scene at his studio (christened the "Factory"); a near-fatal shooting; and his death at age 59. The authors provide a good balance of personal and art history, showing how Warhol's signature silkscreen soup cans and portraits were rooted in his commercial beginnings and 1960s commentary on consumerism. Throughout, they provide insight into specific works of art and their relationship to one another. Their liberal use of quotes by Warhol and his contemporaries paints a picture of a man who was often flip or evasive, who wore a very public persona but was extremely guarded about his personal life. The excellent glossary will aid students new to art terms. From the cover design to the quality of the paper and well-selected reproductions and photos, this is attractive bookmaking. While this eccentric, enigmatic subject is not likely to engender affection among readers, they will finish the book with an understanding of his legacy to the art world.-Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews