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Title: The Philosophy of Andy Warhol : (From A to B and Back Again)
ISBN: 0156717204
Author:
Andy Warhol
Publicate Date: 1977-04-06
Publish: 1977-04-06
List Price: $14.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $7.57
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $4.40
Amazon Merchant Price: $11.20
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| Customer Review: |
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1: If you love Andy, you'll love his philosophy
This book was very funny and a great insight on how Andy's mind works.
Some of his philosophy is so far from the norm that when you think about it it actually might work. Its a quick read, seemingly a lot of it is actual transcribed conversations, so some things get a bit monotonous like an hour long conversation with B about what she cleaned all day. (I think the idea is that B is high and rambling, but its pretty funny when you think about it). I laughed out loud through most of the book, I highly recommend it if you're an Andy fan.
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2: Warhol: A Zeitgeist Mirror
I recently had lunch at the Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburgh PA from where I purchased this book. With me was a very intellectual Indian guy who hadn't heard of Warhol nor was he familiar with his work. He wanted to understand who this person was and understand his significance.
Without thinking much about it, I explained that Warhol was a central figure in the pop art scene who made the spirit of art--the ability to see everyday things in a different light and from multiple perspectives--available to the common man. How was it that I knew this? It wasn't any remarkable brilliance on my part, rather I would credit the ability of Andy Warhol to make a philosophical statement purely on the basis of his art. That an artistically untrained person such as myself could get this is a reflection of Andy Warhol's genius.
Andy Warhol made the living essense of art available to the common man by showing him the beauty of popular culture.
Warhol is an iconic American figure and we should really appreciate this fact. His appreciation of blue jeans, ballpark hot dogs, a Coke and yes obviously Campbells soup is revolutionary in that no one else at that time, save a happy go lucky American could appreciate that. In that vein, what is truly American about Warhol's art is that it is divorced from any specific tradition, thus apart from any cultural phenomenon and so it stands as an inspiration to see that commercialization as the American way has indeed an equalizing power unparalleled by any political or philosophical system. I do believe that Warhol appreciated this fact and there are many other unique insights to the American experience that support this point of view.
The book itself is loosely based on categories of human interest...Love, Fame, Work, Time, Death etc. Within these chapters, Warhol observes from his experience and those of his acquaintences simple ideas that put the world into perspective for him. I find his approach to be existential in that he simply observes in journalistic fashion the effects of lifes experiences and the results to his thinking.
The tone is conversational and you get the impression from the narrative that you are witnessing some spectacle and hearing Warhol's commentary and this makes the book very easy to read. It is not pretentious or pompous, rather there is an innocence and naivete to Warhol that comes through.
There are more than a few gems, one the most important the paradoxical aspects of life in terms of success. I find it extraordinary that he felt that good business was an art as very few seem to appreciate this fact.It seems that Warhol's commercial motivations for art gave rise to the best work produced by him. Though I would not be quick to dismiss him as an artistic prostitute.
A worthwhile read for anyone who is constantly on the lookout for evidence that the American experiment has noteworthy contributions towards social development.
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3: Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol is known for throughing america back on its face. He's way of thinking is exuberant and unusual. The book made me see things from an angle i never thought to look from. As a fan of, not only the work, of Andy Warhol this book satisfied my wish to come a little closer from understanding his brilliant mind. One of my favorite books.
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4: Ghostwritten by Bob Colacello and Pat Hackett
According to page 208 of the Warhol Biography 'Holy Terror; Andy Warhol Close Up' by Bob Colacello (1990), Warhol delegated the actual writing of the book to Colacello and Pat Hackett. Colacello wrote the first draft and Hackett wrote the version that was published. Warhol's contribution was to set up the deal, offer a few suggestions and one-liners, and read the finished pages before they were sent off to the publisher.
If a silkscreen created by Warhol's assistants (carefully aping his art style) but signed by Warhol is still "authentic," does that mean an autobiography written by Warhol's assistants (carefully aping his speaking style) but credited to Warhol on the cover is still an "authentic" autobiography?
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5: straight from the master
I used to think that Andy Warhol was not a real artist, only a great self promoter. This book, written in his own words, proved my prejudice to be completely wrong and uncalled for. Much of what we encounter today in popular culture was forecasted in this book by Warhol. If only the best economists could even be 10 percent as right about their forecasts!
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