Nina Schleif – författare

This book highlights two series of little known drawings from the 1950's, drawings where Andy Warhol first explored the controversial and for him deeply personal subject of drag. His oeuvre during the first decade of his career, before he became the god father of Pop, has proven to be enormously influential on his life's work but remains little known. In 1953, Warhol created two unique series of drawings, quite different from his commissioned work. In one series, he developed an ensemble of spirited wome n that were derived from photographs of stage divas and — of men in drag. He delved deeper into the art of dressing as the opposite sex with his second series, a set of portraits of men posing in high and low drag. This book considers Warhol's work and its d ebt to newly discovered photographs that his friend, photographer Otto Fenn, staged explicitly for Warhol’s purpose. Drag & Draw sheds light on New York's secret gay and drag scenes during the repressive 1950s

In 1950s New York, before he became one of the most famous names of the 20th century, Andy Warhol was already a skilled and successful commercial artist. During this time, as part of his strategy to woo clients and forge friendships, he created seven handmade artist’s books, reserved to his most valued contacts. These featured personal, unique drawings and quirky texts revealing his fondness for—among other subjects—cats, food, myths, shoes, beautiful boys, and gorgeous girls.Decades later, with originals now changing hands for thousands of dollars at auction, TASCHEN presents an XL-sized volume containing meticulous reprints of these seven books. With titles such as Love Is a Pink Cake, 25 Cats Named Sam, and À la Recherche du Shoe Perdu, the series reveals the artist’s off-the-wall character as well as his accomplished draftsmanship, boundless creativity, and innuendo-laced humor.This book makes delightful play with styles and genres, including A Is for Alphabet, which devotes a page to each letter of the alphabet, with illustrations complemented by stumbling three-line verses that tell of strange encounters between man and animal. In the Bottom of My Garden is at once a Warhol twist on a children’s book and a covert celebration of gay love. Wild Raspberries, meanwhile, is a spoof cookbook with a cornucopia of adventurous recipes and illustrations.This volume also includes introductions for each of Warhol’s illustrations. Complete with rarely seen photographs of the artist, inspirational ephemera, and commercial assignments, they contextualize Warhol’s 1950s art, offering a glimpse into his early creative process as well as his endearing, playful character.Little-known, much-coveted jewels in the Warhol crown, these hand-drawn delights are as appealing and original today as they were back in the halcyon days of the 1950s and offer a unique glimpse at a budding genius on the cusp of global fame.© The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.