Andy Warhol A Retrospective, Hard-Cover Coffee Table Book, 1989

Foreword: “This book is published on the occasion of the exhibition Andy Warhol: A Retrospective, which marks the first full-scale critical examination of this remarkable American artist’s career. At a time when we may appropriately begin to assess his contributions to twentieth-century art, this book and exhibition span the wide range of his creativity, from the earliest works of the fifties to works executed just before his untimely death, in February 1987. Through his art, ideas, and style, Andy Warhol left a lasting imprint on the history of modern art and on our culture. We hope that this book and the exhibition it accompanies, will contribute significantly to understanding his vision and originality, his influence and legacy.”… Richard E. Oldenburg, Director, The Museum of Modern Art. Exhibition: The Museum of Modern Art, New York, February 6-May 2, 1989 Publication of this book: Publication was supported by a grant to The Museum of Modern Art from an anonymous donor. Publisher: The Museum of Modern Art, New York Published: February, 1989 Printed and bound: Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey Binding: Hard-cover, perfect-bound Dust-Jacket: Acetate jacket with black print and copy Designed by: Steven Schoenfelder.
“There will always be a pre- and a post-Warhol,” writes Philippe Tretiack, “and that post-Warhol period is having difficulty establishing itself.” There also will always be people who consider Andy Warhol’s work to represent the beginning of the end of serious cultural life in America. A flagrantly commercial antihero of the gay, big-city subculture, Warhol offended in so many ways. His cheerful, absurdist pop images of Campbell’s soup cans, Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, and the electric chair made serious subject matter with serious meaning a thing of the past. Everything Warhol did made serious film, painting, drawing, or printmaking look slightly silly. He flaunted his disregard for the pretensions of the fine artist, calling his studio “the Factory,” churning out multiples, and publicly insisting that his work could be fabricated by practically anyone.