Warhol in Ten Takes

Book excerpt: Andy Warhol remains one of the world's most influential artists, and his reputation has only grown since his death in 1987. He first picked up a film camera in 1963. Within the space of five years, he made around 650 films. These are now recognised as a hugely significant part of Warhol's oeuvre, vital for understanding his output as a whole. Warhol in Ten Takes provides a comprehensive introduction to Warhol's film-making alongside ten essays on individual films (from canonical classics such as The Chelsea Girls, to sorely neglected titles such as Bufferin) from leading scholars of cinema, art and culture. Drawing on research from the Warhol archives, newly-unearthed images, and original interviews with denizens of the Factory, this book explores the richness and variety of Warhol's films and interrogates accepted perspectives on them – while acknowledging the challenge of ever fully coming to terms with the life and career of this extraordinary artist.