Andy Warhol Seven Illustrated Books

In 1950s New York, before he became one of the most celebrated names of the 20th century, Andy Warhol was already a skilled and successful commercial artist.

During that time, as part of his strategy to attract clients and forge friendships, he created seven handmade promotional books reserved for his most valued contacts. In them he included quirky drawings and text of his own, revealing, among other things, his passion for cats, food, myths, shoes, pretty boys and beautiful girls.

Decades later, and with the originals passing from one owner to another for thousands of dollars at auction, TASCHEN presents an XL-sized volume containing meticulous reprints of these seven books. With titles such as Love Is A Pink Cake, 25 Cats Named Sam and À la Recherche du Shoe Perdu, this series reveals the artist's unusual character, his skill as a cartoonist, his boundless creativity and his subtle sense of humour.

This book plays with styles and genres: The lithographs in A Is for Alphabet devote a page to each of the letters of the alphabet, with illustrations accompanied by three-line verses that speak of strange encounters between man and animals. In the Bottom of My Garden is both a Warholian children's story and a homage to homosexual love.

Wild Raspberries is a parody of a cookbook with a series of daring recipes with instructions and illustrations. This colourful volume also includes introductions to each of Warhol's illustrations.

Enriched with rarely seen photographs of the artist, inspirational objects and commercial works, they contextualise Warhol's art of the 1950s by offering an insight into his creative process in those early years as well as his endearing and playful character.

These books are little-known but highly coveted gems from the Warhol universe. Hand-drawn delights as engaging and original today as they were in the 1950s. With an introduction by Warhol expert Nina Schleif, as well as period illustrations and photographs of Warhol, this meticulous edition offers a unique look at a budding genius on the verge of worldwide fame.© The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.

• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• Author: Reuel Golden
• Year: 2023
• MODEL: 9783836592581

Publisher: Taschen