“IT'S CALLED GOSSIP AND OF COURSE IT'S AN OBSESSION OF MINE” -ANDY WARHOL

When iconic artist Andy's 15 minutes of fame came to an abrupt halt 21 years ago, he left his estate — including his vast body of art and personal possessions — to create the Andy Warhol Foundation For The Visual Arts. Now the foundation is solely responsible for what Warhol-related goods you can and can't buy. And licensing both his image and his work have proved lucrative.

"We're committed to making Warhol's work accessible to audiences and critics around the world," explains Michael Hermann, the foundation's director of licensing. "Our licensing programme works with licensees who understand Warhol's cultural currency. Our criteria states they must be able to create products that reflect his maverick approach to art-making, and his sophisticated sense of design."

The Guardian
Oct 11 2008