As an underground art star, Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was the antidote
to the prevalent abstract expressionist style of 1950s America. He
introduced popular everyday subjects into his practice and openly
acknowledged the wide-ranging influences on his work. Throughout his
career, his forays into advertising, fashion, film, TV and music videos,
marked a fascination with mainstream popular culture.
This book will position Warhol at the vanguard of artistic
experimentation. Looking at his background as an immigrant, ideas of
death and religion, and his queer perspective, it will explore his limitless
ambition to push the traditional boundaries of painting, sculpture, film
and music, and reveal Warhol as an artist who both succeeded and
failed in equal measure; an artist who embraced the establishment
while cavorting with the underground. It will further highlight Warhol's
knowing flirtation with the commercial world of celebrity alongside his
socially engaged collaborations and advocacy of alternative lifestyles.
Including his iconic depictions alongide lesser-known works, as well as
an installation of his Silver Clouds, this fascinating book returns Warhol
to his conceptual ambition and positions him within the shifting creative
and political landscape in which he worked, permitting a broad view of
how Warhol, and his work, marked a period of cultural transformation.