Warhol

by Klaus Honnef

Part of Taschen's celebrated Basic Art series, this compact and beautifully illustrated volume is the perfect introduction to Andy Warhol — one of the most provocative and influential artists of the 20th century.

A critical and creative observer of American society, Warhol explored key themes of consumerism, materialism, media, and celebrity. Drawing on contemporary advertisements, comic strips, consumer products, and Hollywood's most famous faces, he proposed a radical reevaluation of what constituted artistic subject matter — making a Campbell's soup can and a Coca-Cola bottle as worthy of artistic status as any traditional still life. 

Famously stating "I want to be a machine," Warhol systematically reduced the presence of his own authorship, working with mass-production methods and dozens of assistants in a studio he dubbed the Factory. This book presents more than 100 images in top-quality reproductions that retain all of the originals' pop, introducing Warhol's multifaceted oeuvre and its revolutionary blurring of the line between high and low art.

Written by Klaus Honnef, honorary professor of photography theory at the Kassel Art Academy and curator of more than 500 exhibitions in Germany and abroad. 

A great shelf piece for artists, designers, photographers, and anyone drawn to pop culture and visual art.