The Life and Works of Andy Warhol

I came across this book in the children's biography section of my public library and used it to teach a homeschool art history lesson with my children, but as I read it, it seemed to me this is actually intended for an adult audience due to the level of detail it goes into and the technical art world lingo used. The book starts off with a short three page biography of Andy Warhol then moves on to have a reproduction of an artwork with commentary on each two page spread. The commentary reads as an art critique of the piece and sometimes contains explanations and references to why Warhol may have created the piece. The artworks are in chronological order and as you read through the book from beginning to end, in order, the accompanying text sections explain the change in process and subject matter over the course of Andy Warhol's life. So this is not a typically arranged narrative type biography, instead we learn about Andy Warhol as a person and of his influences and his artwork as we studying individual pieces. There is a wide range of Warhol's work not just a focus on the most popular or commonly known artworks. There are approximately 35 artworks reproduced in full color and discussed in this book. The page size is 8x8 inches so the works are not reproduced in large scale as in some large coffee table books. To make up for the difficulty to see detail some of the art has small sections enlarged to show the detail. There is little white space on the page (unlike some other art books on the market). As an adult I enjoyed reading this book and found it interesting and a fun way to learn about Andy Warhol's life and art. A lot of the language is `art world-speak' it is not written in simple layman's terms. It seems to me despite what my public library thinks, this is not a book for middle school or elementary school students. Because I was looking for books to teach my middle school and elementary school aged homeschooled students with, I used the book with them to skim over the artwork and I talked a little about some of the pieces watering down the information that I read from the book. If you are looking for a small volume retrospective book of Andy Warhol's life, something much slimmer than a giant coffee table book or a book just about Warhol not about the entire Pop Art movement, this is a good book. It has lots of information despite its small page size and its 80 page length.

As a student of the arts I frequently find myself browsing the aisles of book stores searching the various impressionistic art books available. This study into the works of Andy Warhol give a grounded understanding of some of the more recognised pieces. Each of Warhol's works is accompanied by a caption explaining the piece and giving the viewer a better understanding of Warhol's intent. This book offers the reader a wonderful and enchanting learning experience.