Warhol: Bardot
This book was published on the occasion of Warhol: Bardot at Gagosian, Davies Street, London. The exhibition presented six portraits of French New Wave superstar Brigitte Bardot that the artist produced in 1974, shortly after she had announced her retirement from making movies. This body of work, which was based on an iconic magazine photograph of Bardot taken by Richard Avedon in 1959, features distinctive formal treatments reminiscent of those used by Warhol in his 1964 and 1965 portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor—a cropped frontal viewpoint and contrasting palette, with vivid primary accents on the eyes and lips.
In addition to reproductions of the exhibited works—each of which is accompanied by a quotation about Bardot by a cultural icon, among them Simone de Beauvoir, Jean Cocteau, and Bob Dylan—the book includes a selection of historic photographs of the actress. An illustrated essay by Warhol collaborator and writer Glenn O’Brien addresses Warhol’s fascination with his subject, while Purple magazine editor Oliver Zahm explores the myths and realities surrounding Bardot’s life and work. The book is available in three different covers.
Publisher: Gagosian
Publication date: 2011
Contributors: Glenn O’Brien, Oliver Zahm
Designer: Graphic Thought Facility, London
Printer: Shapco Printing, Minneapolis
Format: Hardcover
Dimensions: 12 1/2 × 12 1/2 inches (31.8 × 31.8 cm)
Pages: 48
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-935263-52-4
