Sara Krajewski

Accompanying the exhibition at the Portland Art Gallery and comprised of prints from the collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer (and his family foundation), this catalogue is a veritable treasure trove of Andy Warhol delights. Schnitzer’s collection is impressive (and relatively comprehensive, considering the extensive output of Warhol and his factory), and presented in the simplistic chronological fashion of the show we are treated to a full range of Warhol’s development as an artist. From early advertising cartoons to political collage-work and photo-painting portraiture to full abstractions, this collection has a bit of everything - more than enough to fully illustrate the accompanying essays by the exhibition’s curators. Unlike many art books, the tone of this catalogue is far from academic, even though it is clear that the curators have an incredible depth of knowledge; their brief discussions of major themes create an engaging narrative that brings to light some of the socio-political shifts of Warhol’s life, creating an intersection between the accompanying artworks, Warhol’s antics in his New York microcosm, and the outside world. It wasn’t until I reached the final pages that I even realised we were missing some of Warhol’s most recognisable pieces, but if the text and composition kept me from noticing that long, then truly no harm done - besides, some of the pieces included herein I was far less familiar with, and they deserve equal attention when detailing the career of such a prolific artist and creator.… (meer)