Andy Warhol: The Complete Commissioned Record Covers
From the iconic to the obscure, the artist’s full collection in one weighty hardcover
Charting the influence and legacy of Andy Warhol, it’s clear there’s no area of pop culture he didn’t dabble in or leave an indelible mark on. Music was a major area of exploration for the late artist, acting as a producer and art director for The Velvet Underground’s first (and arguable most famous) record The Velvet Underground & Nico. But that wasn’t the first time Warhol was involved with music—and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. From 1949 to 1987, he designed 57 record covers from the instantly recognizable to the enigmatic. From Count Basie to John Lennon to the William Tell Overture, this entire body of work is now organized and contextualized in the 264-page hard-cover tome “Andy Warhol: The Complete Commissioned Record Covers.”
Author Paul Maréchal (a noted Warhol collector, scholar and professor) tells the story behind each record cover. A quick flip through the book reveals Warhol’s creative evolution—branching out from sketch-like line drawings, through printmaking and into color experimentation. All the while, Maréchal places each record cover into its larger context within Warhol’s full body of work. Not surprisingly, Warhol developed relationships with many of the musicians he worked for, sometimes even influencing not just the cover but music itself.
Pre-order “Andy Warhol: The Complete Commissioned Record Covers” on Amazon now for $44.
Images by Cool Hunting
