I Bought Andy Warhol (Hardcover)

In the tradition of Liar's Poker and Kitchen Confidential, the inside story on one man's quest to own the perfect Warhol painting. In 1987 art dealer Richard Polsky set aside $ 100,000 to purchase for his private collection a painting by famed Pop artist Andy Warhol--a process that took him 12 years. His journey, spanning the art world of the go-go 1980s to the recession of the 1990s, is recounted here in this funny, fast-paced, and intensely readable expose. Artists, gallery owners, auction houses, and collectors all play a role in this entertaining tale that illuminates not only Warhol the person--and his place in art history--but also the machinations and marketing that fueled his celebrity, driving the price of his paintings to the top of the market (in 1998 publisher Si Newhouse bought Orange Marilyn for $ 17.3 million--the highest price ever paid per square inch for a work of contemporary art). As an industry insider, Polsky reveals the relationships that make the art world go round. I Bought Andy Warhol is a behind-the-scenes look at that world--a look that reveals it to be filled with humor, hypocrisy, gossip, greed, manipulation, and money.