Even for the most ardent fan of Andy Warhol, the prospect of a four hour long documentary film on the artist may at first appear as a challenge, but don’t shy away.
Created in 2006, but no less relevant today, Burns was the first filmmaker given permission to utilise the immense archives of the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. The first half of the film explores Warhol’s childhood, plagued by illness and poverty – it shows how these conditions influenced his work decades later. We follow Warhol to Manhattan where he launches a successful career as a commercial graphic artist and we find out about his many failed attempts to get the attention of the art world.
The first part of this film is the most interesting as it spends time on a part of Warhol’s life that is normally given just a few sentences or a single chapter in most biographies. Warhol’s made a living working on magazines and designing record covers. This non-artist purely commercial output is just as interesting as the artistic work that he is instantly recognised for.
Most accounts of Warhol’s life skim over the period between him arriving in New York, and becoming the darling of the art world when he painted all 32 flavours of Campbell’s soups cans.
Yet in-between these two milestones he had many failed attempts at getting the attention of the art world, and getting acceptance into high society.
Part two of the film focuses largely on how Warhol’s life adjusted to success in the ‘60s. The creation of his famous studio – The Factory, his forays into filmmaking and music and finally the defining incident of his life – being shot by Valerie Solanas.
Regrettably, the period of his life between the mid ‘70s and his death in early 1987 is quickly rushed over, but Burns would have easily been left with a six or eight hour film if he covered these periods in as much detail. And to be fair, this part of Warhol’s life is well documented in other places. Whether you know nothing about Warhol, or are one of his biggest fans, this film is not to be missed.
Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film is on ABC1 on February 3 and 10 at 10:00pm and also available through the
ABC’s iView.
Graeme Watson
