The Warhol Economy (Book Review)

If you’re at all a fan of New York City, especially when defined as a cultural mecca, then this is a must read for different reasons than those that The Warhol Economy advertises. An extensive, heady gossip column gone delightfully awry, The Warhol Economy is a book completely infatuated with the city’s culture and the industries lying behind it. Fellow New Yorkers and fans of the city and its artistic presence will not be disappointed, and even casual readers will get caught up in author Elizabeth Currid’s name-dropping passion for the creative denizens of the Big Apple. However, if you’re a fan of the artist Andy Warhol, you’ll quickly see through the thin veil to realize the author is simply using the artist’s name to move copies off the shelves a little more quickly. Very little knowledge or new wisdom involving Warhol is imparted.

There is intrinsic value in the above truths, however. First of all, the name Warhol is synonymous with both Pop Art and New York, and, he himself would consider the mention high praise, thinking the concept as being “very pop.” Secondly, while the author tends to ramble, loosely relating several familiar topics and famous people to the art and fashion scene of New York, through her chosen verbiage she inadvertently paints a very detailed portrait of the Manhattan collective groupthink—something Warhol himself attempted with his own The Warhol Diaries, and in much the same fashion. These thought processes are of great value in any timeframe, since as she even points out, “all business is done in New York.” Thirdly, such a move to associate her work with Warhol was smart for business, which is really the biggest, if not the only lesson being a resident of New York will teach you. Consider this tome a Beginner’s Guide to the Manhattan Mindset, with a specific nod to the artistic elite.

Available on Amazon.com.