LEGACY

When Warhol dubbed his studio a factory it was a provocation, it implied mass production, a pragmatic approach, contempt for preciousness — which is great if you’re making a point against snobbery, but depressing if higher values really are the target. The problem with the Warhol legacy is that no one can tell the difference. What about this idea of Warhol being “real”, true to our times? Realism of this kind is value-neutral. It’s neither good nor bad. It’s not an achievement. According to my sense of reality Warhol’s influence is not bad so much as overdone. He shows us how to express a sort of anarchic despair, and he does it with such a concentrated flair and cleverness that you have to applaud. But I don’t think you have to believe that’s all there is to either art or life.

The Times
Sept 26 2009