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Death and Disaster:: The Rise of the Warhol Empire and the Race for Andy's Millions
Beginning with the 1987 death of Andy Warhol, the author of Rough Magic traces the ensuing dispute between the Warhol estate and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts over the artist's multimillion-dollar estate. 20,000 first printing.
- GenresNonfictionArt
258 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1994
21 people want to read
About the author
Paul Alexander
125 books43 followersBesides the bestselling Kindle Singles Murdered, Accused, and Homicidal, Paul Alexander has published eight previous books of nonfiction: Ariel Ascending: Writings About Sylvia Plath; Rough Magic, a biography of Plath; Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Life, Times, and Legend of James Dean, the bestseller that has been published in 10 countries; Death and Disaster: The Rise of the Warhol Empire and the Race For Andy’s Millions; Man of the People: The Life of John McCain; The Candidate, a chronicle of John Kerry’s presidential campaign; and Machiavelli’s Shadow: The Rise and Fall of Karl Rove.
A former reporter for Time, Alexander has published journalism in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, New York, The Nation, The Village Voice, Salon, Worth, The New York Observer, George, Cosmopolitan, More, Interview, ARTnews, Mirabella, Premiere, Out, The Advocate, Travel & Leisure, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, Biography, Men’s Journal, Best Life, The New York Review of Books, The Daily Beast, and Rolling Stone.
Shane Salerno’s forthcoming feature documentary Salinger is based on Alexander’s biography of J.D. Salinger. Alexander is the author of the plays Strangers in the Land of Canaan and Edge, which he directed. Developed at The Actors Studio, Edge, the critically acclaimed one-woman play about Sylvia Plath, ran in New York, London, Los Angeles, among other cities. Edge toured Australia and New Zealand and enjoyed a second run in New York. In all, Torn performed Edge 400 times. Alexander is also the director of Brothers in Arms, a documentary film about John Kerry and Vietnam (First Run Features).
A graduate of The University of Alabama and The Writers’ Workshop at The University of Iowa, Alexander is a member of the Authors Guild and PEN American Center. In the fall of 2002, he was a Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He lives in New York City.
A former reporter for Time, Alexander has published journalism in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, New York, The Nation, The Village Voice, Salon, Worth, The New York Observer, George, Cosmopolitan, More, Interview, ARTnews, Mirabella, Premiere, Out, The Advocate, Travel & Leisure, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, Biography, Men’s Journal, Best Life, The New York Review of Books, The Daily Beast, and Rolling Stone.
Shane Salerno’s forthcoming feature documentary Salinger is based on Alexander’s biography of J.D. Salinger. Alexander is the author of the plays Strangers in the Land of Canaan and Edge, which he directed. Developed at The Actors Studio, Edge, the critically acclaimed one-woman play about Sylvia Plath, ran in New York, London, Los Angeles, among other cities. Edge toured Australia and New Zealand and enjoyed a second run in New York. In all, Torn performed Edge 400 times. Alexander is also the director of Brothers in Arms, a documentary film about John Kerry and Vietnam (First Run Features).
A graduate of The University of Alabama and The Writers’ Workshop at The University of Iowa, Alexander is a member of the Authors Guild and PEN American Center. In the fall of 2002, he was a Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 26, 2015
Paul Alexander has taken the name of his 1994 book from the famous series of paintings that Andy Warhol called ‘Death and Disaster’. According to Warhol it was Henry Geldzahler who gave him the idea to start the series and it included such iconic paintings as "Electric Chair" and "Jackie".
The book is divided in two parts Death and Disaster. The first part chronicles how Warhol to a large extend abandoned his underground ethos after he was in 1968 shot by Valerie Solanas and turned into a commercially driven artist with the help of his confident and associate Fred Hughes. The second part of the book deals with the legal circus that developed around Warhol's legacy and the faith of his fortune.
Alexander has written a very good piece of investigative journalism. The story moves fast and all the facts and key players are well described. To me, the first part didn't really bring out any facts that I didn't already know about Warhol. However, the events leading up to the shooting of Warhol by the radical feminist Valerie Solanas is a gripping read. Maybe the biggest revelation to me in the first part of the book was how the shooting of Warhol was the second in a chain of three high profile shootings the spring and early summer of 1968. Martin Luther King was shot on 4 April, Warhol on 3 June and Bobby Kennedy on 6 June.
As the first part ends with Warhol and Hughes having succeeded making Warhol one of the wealthiest living artists, the second part starts with the artist dying from the complications of a routine gallbladder operation. The unexpected passing of Warhol sets in motion events that lead to the setting up of the Andy Warhol Foundation and then to its near demise due to the expensive legal battles fought between Hughes, the lawyer of the Warhol estate Edward Hayes and the President of the Foundation Archibald Gillies over the value of Warhol's paintings that formed the financial backbone for the Foundation.
Alexander well describes the legal battle in all it's ugliness. The venerable auction house of Christie's comes out as a villain in the battle as does Gillies and the Foundation who desperately tried to tarnish the legacy of Warhol the artist in order to diminish the value of the paintings and other forms of Warhol art in possession of the Foundation. Setting as low value as possible was in the interest of the Foundation for two reasons. First, if the value was low the Foundation would not have to give out so much in grant money as it's own rules mandated. This was important because due to Gillies mismanagement of the Foundation's funds it's cash reserves had all but dried out. The second reason was that due to the fall out with Hughes and Hayes, Gillies absolutely didn't want to pay them their fees that were tied to the value of the art.
Unfortunately, the book seems to have been rushed because the end result of the disputes is not explained. Maybe a bit more patience from Alexander at that time would have given him the possibility to write an even better and juicier account of the debacle. To get a fuller picture of the battle, I need to read the later books written by Hayes and others.
The book is divided in two parts Death and Disaster. The first part chronicles how Warhol to a large extend abandoned his underground ethos after he was in 1968 shot by Valerie Solanas and turned into a commercially driven artist with the help of his confident and associate Fred Hughes. The second part of the book deals with the legal circus that developed around Warhol's legacy and the faith of his fortune.
Alexander has written a very good piece of investigative journalism. The story moves fast and all the facts and key players are well described. To me, the first part didn't really bring out any facts that I didn't already know about Warhol. However, the events leading up to the shooting of Warhol by the radical feminist Valerie Solanas is a gripping read. Maybe the biggest revelation to me in the first part of the book was how the shooting of Warhol was the second in a chain of three high profile shootings the spring and early summer of 1968. Martin Luther King was shot on 4 April, Warhol on 3 June and Bobby Kennedy on 6 June.
As the first part ends with Warhol and Hughes having succeeded making Warhol one of the wealthiest living artists, the second part starts with the artist dying from the complications of a routine gallbladder operation. The unexpected passing of Warhol sets in motion events that lead to the setting up of the Andy Warhol Foundation and then to its near demise due to the expensive legal battles fought between Hughes, the lawyer of the Warhol estate Edward Hayes and the President of the Foundation Archibald Gillies over the value of Warhol's paintings that formed the financial backbone for the Foundation.
Alexander well describes the legal battle in all it's ugliness. The venerable auction house of Christie's comes out as a villain in the battle as does Gillies and the Foundation who desperately tried to tarnish the legacy of Warhol the artist in order to diminish the value of the paintings and other forms of Warhol art in possession of the Foundation. Setting as low value as possible was in the interest of the Foundation for two reasons. First, if the value was low the Foundation would not have to give out so much in grant money as it's own rules mandated. This was important because due to Gillies mismanagement of the Foundation's funds it's cash reserves had all but dried out. The second reason was that due to the fall out with Hughes and Hayes, Gillies absolutely didn't want to pay them their fees that were tied to the value of the art.
Unfortunately, the book seems to have been rushed because the end result of the disputes is not explained. Maybe a bit more patience from Alexander at that time would have given him the possibility to write an even better and juicier account of the debacle. To get a fuller picture of the battle, I need to read the later books written by Hayes and others.
December 29, 2014
a well composed book about a fascinating story - the death of andy warhol and the battle for his estate, property and the establishment of the warhol foundation.
the book provides a succinct biography of warhol, the matter of his death, which may or may not have been prevented if it was not for a negligent nurse. the first half of the book establishes warhol's associates that will, in the second half of the book, vie for finances related to his estate.
the book bogs down at the start of the second half as various legal actions occur involving the battle over andy's vast collection and his estate, but the section ends with a portrayal of the trial, which was riveting. the first half of the book had me in suspense the way few mysteries have been able to achieve.
i was also pleased to get a good glimpse of the new york art scene in the 60's - 80's - lots of good info here condensed into a fun to read page-turner. good stuff!
the book provides a succinct biography of warhol, the matter of his death, which may or may not have been prevented if it was not for a negligent nurse. the first half of the book establishes warhol's associates that will, in the second half of the book, vie for finances related to his estate.
the book bogs down at the start of the second half as various legal actions occur involving the battle over andy's vast collection and his estate, but the section ends with a portrayal of the trial, which was riveting. the first half of the book had me in suspense the way few mysteries have been able to achieve.
i was also pleased to get a good glimpse of the new york art scene in the 60's - 80's - lots of good info here condensed into a fun to read page-turner. good stuff!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews