The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again)

Warhol didn't actually write the book, just as he didn't actually paint most of his works himself. He had a tape recorder into which he poured his thoughts, and an assistant with whom he worked to transcribe and edit what he chose to publish. The book is made up of sections rather than chapters, as it has no real narrative thread. Each section is given a title such as money or art, and Warhol simply reels forth his ideology, thoughts and musings on the subject. Luckily he was an extremely odd man with an unusual way of looking at the world, which is what makes the book so entertaining. He had a fascinating relationship with his art and the people around him and enough wit and humour to take the edge of what might otherwise come across show more as highly pretentious musings. If you want to know about Warhol and what his art means, this is as good a place as any to start. show less

This is not a philosophy book or a biography. It is Andy one upping Duchampe and Dali and making his quirks part of his art or making some slight of hand by making us believe his art is his life. One may never know and that is the reason I gave the high rating. Knocked a star off for the dictation aspect where the style doesn't lend itself to deeper inspection. But maybe that is the point for art as business or business as art. Andy was always ahead of his moment and not quite ever in it. Still making impacts today as everyone is doing his thing. To understand our current culture, you need to understand how Warhol saw his present and our future. Now we need a new voice.

In The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, the enigmatic, legendary Warhol makes the reader his confidant on love, sex, food, beauty, fame, work, money, success, and much more.

Andy Warhol claimed that he loved being outside a party—so that he could get in. But more often than not, the party was at his own studio, The Factory, where celebrities—from Edie Sedgwick and Allen Ginsberg to the Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground—gathered in an ongoing bash.
A loosely formed autobiography, told with his trademark blend of irony and detachment, this compelling and eccentric memoir riffs and reflects on all things Warhol: New York, America, and his childhood in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, as well as the explosion of his career in the sixties, show more and his life among the rich and famous. show less

Andy Warhol is a very strange man, so it is not very much of a surprise that his novel (I use the term novel loosely) is rather strange as well. The 15 hapters are divided into themes - such as Love, Fame, and Underwear Power - which Warhol extrapolates upon at length. Some of his musings are extremely clever and amusing, but I found that his discussion became quite tedior as the book carried on. It may be just the lack of interesting themes (sorry, but the "Tingle" chapter on cleaning is quite dull), but the format (that of discussions between himself and "B") is rather trite and not at all engaging. At least there are some hilarious quotes in the early chapters, and the single line of the Death chapter is highly memorable.

Difficult book to reflect on as there is so much running through it. The main problem I had was though I know who Andy Warhol is and some background to influnce in the art world and his movie creation I really did not have a sense of the man. This book provides you with that but I am not sure if the reflections by Warhol are linear or the book being based on themes means that what you read jumos all over time. I suspect that time jumping is what is happening which means it is sometimes difficult to fathom if his views change over time or if he constantly revisits the variations on the same theme.
I found the observations to be witty and insightful. I liked his views on beauty, in that a person is a beauty if they want to be treated as a show more beauty. The Andy Warhol New York diet had me chuckling as it was rather clever. I also liked how his beloved tape recorder becomes known as his wife.
I did like how you could see those rare insights into Warhol's interest in advertising and his views on art and business.
It was a good read and a interesting look at person who was one of the major influences in pop culture. show less

I am glad to have experienced an Andy Warhol exhibition in Hong Kong a few years ago to provide some context to this work. Despite my initial trepidation, I found myself intrigued. Warhol seems to me to be Freudian in that he says what we all think but are afraid to say. Either that or I have a similar problem. Does it take one self-centred person to enjoy another self-centered person? Warhol has led me to read Freud and Truman Capote. But increasingly, I fear I am running out of time to read what I wish to read in my remaining lifetime.

B: Is that a female impersonator?
A: Of what?

Enjoyable in both expected and unexpected ways - I was expecting glorified superficiality and amusingly glib comments, I was not expecting much in the way of warmth and genuine reflection - but the book contains both.

I discovered midway through reading (thanks to other Goodreads members' reviews) that Andy didn't actually pen the book himself which, were this any other artist, might be an outrage but with Warhol seems par for the course! It was actually ghost-written by Bob Colacello, Pat Hackett and Brigid Berlin (who is responsible for a chapter I-N-T-R-I-C-A-T-E-L-Y describing her incredibly thorough cleaning routine in minute detail which is by turns exasperating and jaw-dropping!)

Overall show more a fun read! show less