Andy Warhol

A new reading of Warhol presents his life and work in the context of contemporary concerns, emphasizing his continued relevance in the digital age.

As an underground art star, Andy Warhol was the antidote to the prevalent Abstract Expressionist style of the 1950s. His work in advertising, fashion, film, and music videos featured popular everyday subjects, openly acknowledged wide-ranging influences, and had a fascination with popular culture.

Looking at his background in an immigrant family, ideas of death and religion, sexuality, and ambition to push traditional artistic boundaries, the book reveals Warhol as an artist who succeeded and failed in equal measure and who embraced the establishment while cavorting with the underground. It explores Warhol's flirtation with the commercial world of celebrity alongside his socially engaged collaborations and advocacy of alternative lifestyles. Including many iconic as well as lesser-known works, this book highlights Warhol's conceptual ambition within the shifting creative and political landscape, permitting a broad view of how Warhol, and his work, mark a period of cultural transformation.

Gregor Muir is director of collection, Tate Modern. Yilmaz Dziewior is director of Museum Ludwig, Cologne. Kenneth Brummel is assistant curator, Art Gallery of Ontario. Stephan Diederich is curator, Museum Ludwig, Cologne. Diedrich Diederichsen is a music journalist and cultural critic. Olivia Laing is a novelist and cultural critic. Fiontan Moran is assistant curator, Tate Modern. Charlie Porter is a fashion journalist. Martine Syms is an artist.