I stumbled across a gem in Chester; there was a V&A curated exhibition of Pop Art on at a small arts centre. It hosted a wealth of conventional Pop Art such as Peter Blake, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol but in a cabinet were some sketches and illustrations that Warhol had done for a recipe book; 'Wild Raspberries'. These illustrations seem so far removed from his common graphic, block colour iconographies. In sensitive ink and water colour, they explore a line quality unseen in Warhol's pop-art work. For a recipe book, these drawings seem to operate within the most immediate definition of illustration, to visualise written words, and for this purpose, they are so simplistic and beautiful.
The illustration above was my favourite on display as I found the charm of the slightly wonky line quality and painterly shapes so sensitive and perfectly balanced. The interpretive qualities of drawing here allow Warhol to create an impression rather than representative image which seems so sophisticated in its level of visual information.
This simplistic approach to drawing is carried across the book in a vibrant, yet muted colour palette, only enhancing the sensitive aesthetic of the wet media. I was similarly inspired by Blake's diagrammatic collages but this secret side to Andy Warhol was so surprising and made a very rewarding visit.
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