Gopnik, Blake. Warhol. Ecco: HarperCollins. Apr. 2020. 976p. ISBN 9780062298393. $45. BIOG

Several biographies and memoirs of pop art superstar Andy Warhol (1928–87) have been written by people who knew him closely, but this newest portrait—and lengthiest at some 900 pages—may, through its wealth of detail, become the treatment that defines Warhol for a generation not yet born during his lifetime. With the perspective of time and distance, and through extensive research in and support from the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, art critic Gopnik’s highly readable account carries the artist’s legacy forward into the 21st century. Notable is the concern that Gopnik has to sort fact from fiction, weigh the accuracy of sources, and attempt to understand the reality behind the artist’s coy and mysterious public persona. The text weaves juicy gossip (much of it R-rated) about Warhol and his social circle with thoughtful insights about his art practice and creative influences, and Gopnik seems genuinely excited to explore Warhol’s story, from working-class Pittsburgh to international jetsetter, and to struggle to understand this enigmatic man.
VERDICT Certainly for those fascinated with Warhol, but equally for those seeking an in-depth yet accessible introduction to the artist. [See Prepub Alert, 10/14/19.]—Michael Dashkin, New York
 

Wrbican, Matt. A Is for Archive: Warhol’s World from A to Z. Yale Univ. 2019. 320p. ISBN 9780300233445. $45. FINE ARTS
This excellent companion to Blake Gopnik’s Warhol offers a primarily visual take on the artist’s life through some of the thousands of items held in the archives of the Andy Warhol Museum. Organized alphabetically ("A Is for Autograph," "U Is for Underground," "X Is for X-rated"—and it is), here is an introduction to Warhol’s world through some of the many objects he collected, hoarded, prized, or tossed aside. The range is far too diverse and extraordinary to do anything more than hint at—8 x 10 glossies of celebrities Shirley Temple, Stevie Wonder, and Mick Jagger; food labels; corsets; cowboy boots; record albums; examples of Warhol’s charming, quirky fashion illustrations; a taxidermied lion; 1950s film fan magazines; photos of Warhol friends, lovers, and hangers-on; his studio business receipts; scribbled notes to and from the artist. Archivist ­Wrbican’s essays introduce the materials in chapters based on thematic exhibitions organized by the Warhol Archives Study Center. As Gopnik puts it, these items are a "mad accumulation of castoffs…inviting future artists and curators to raid as they please."
VERDICT For archivists, students, and fans of Warhol’s life and art.—Michael Dashkin, New York

 

This article was originally published in the February 2020 issue of Library Journal.