SHAMELESS

“There’s never been an artist who was more open about his commercial intentions. The year after he did the “Ten Portraits” he did a series of dollar signs, and he constantly talked about his intentions to sell his work for the best price he could find. What’s unusual about Warhol is not that he had those desires — because I think that many artists do — but that he spoke so frankly and openly about them. He was shameless: He didn’t think that it was something that needed to be disguised in the name of polite taste. If you look at Jeff Koons or Damien Hirst or Takashi Murakami — with his Louis Vuitton store in the middle of his exhibition — or any number of artists now, they’re also very open. That seems very Warholian to me."

-Richard Meyer