Andy Warhol (1928-1987). Wild Raspberries (complete artist's book, 18 works), 1959. Offset lithographs on laid paper; 14...

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Andy Warhol (1928-1987)
Wild Raspberries (complete artist's book, 18 works), 1959
Offset lithographs on laid paper; 14 with hand-coloring, six with gilt-paper collage and one with gold leaf; bound as issued
17-1/2 x 11-3/8 inches (44.5 x 28.9 cm) (closed book)
From the edition of an unknown size
Recipes provided by with Suzie Frankfurt; lettering by Warhol's mother, Julia Warhola

LITERATURE:
Feldman & Shellmann, IV.126A-143A.

Additional impressions of this work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the New York Public Library, New York.

Andy Warhol's Wild Raspberries begins, like any good recipe, with aspiration - something light, a little extravagant, and just impractical enough to be irresistible. Take one part Julia Child-inspired sophistication, fold in a generous helping of 1950s American ambition, and season with Warhol's dry, knowing wit. Published in 1959 with illustrations by Warhol and text by Suzie Frankfurt, the book presents itself as a cookbook, but what it truly prepares is a satire: a menu of impossibly elegant dishes designed for a world that mistakes appearance for substance. The tone is set immediately, with recipes that read more like incantations than instructions - where ingredients are as much about fantasy as flavor.

Begin with Roast Iguana, a dish that requires, quite simply, an iguana - preferably cooperative - and the patience to treat the absurd as entirely reasonable. Or consider Gefilte of Fighting Fish, which suggests not only culinary daring but a certain theatricality in procurement. These recipes are not meant to be followed so much as admired, like Warhol's illustrations themselves: delicate offset lithographs tinted with watercolor, gilded, and embellished with twinkling stars, where garnishes bloom extravagantly and presentation eclipses practicality. Even the more familiar-sounding dishes - Omelet Greta Garbo, for instance - arrive with a wink, transforming celebrity into consommé, fame into flavor.

To assemble Wild Raspberries is to embrace contradiction. Stir together high culture and kitsch, then garnish with a meticulous attention to detail that borders on the obsessive. The instructions often meander, offering digressions and asides that feel more like conversation than command. One senses that the act of cooking here is secondary to the act of imagining - of performing sophistication in a distinctly American key. The recipes, like Warhol's later work, dwell in repetition and surface, where meaning is both obvious and elusive.

Serve immediately, preferably to guests who understand that the meal is metaphor. In Wild Raspberries, nourishment is beside the point; what matters is the spectacle of refinement, the performance of taste. Warhol invites us into a kitchen where nothing quite sustains, but everything sparkles - where even the wild raspberries themselves feel less like fruit and more like an idea, sugared and slightly out of reach.

More information about Andy Warhol. See also: Warhol, Andy, Andrew Warhol, Andrew Warhola Artist.

Condition Report*: Presents very well. Mild toning throughout sheets appearing slightly heavier along edges. Some minor undulations throughout sheets, likely due in part to age; a few sheets with mild creasing along the right edge. Some sheets with collage elements present with stray adhesive around elements. A few areas of additional toning from gilt collage elements transferred to other sheets; an inherent vice of the medium. Some water stains in the fuchsia inter-leaf on the backsides of the pig; an inherent vice of the watercolor used in the pig. A few negligible marks/spots of foxing scattered throughout sheets, do not appear to majorly impact image areas. End sheets present with more moderate toning likely due in part to materials used for the cover. The entire artist's book bound as issued including the inter-leafing of fuchsia tissue, end, and title pages. Bound in original fuchsia buckram boards. Unframed.

*Heritage Auctions strives to provide as much information as possible but encourages in-person inspection by bidders. Statements regarding the condition of objects are only for general guidance and should not be relied upon as complete statements of fact, and do not constitute a representation, warranty or assumption of liability by Heritage. Some condition issues may not be noted in the condition report but are apparent in the provided photos which are considered part of the condition report. Please note that we do not de-frame lots estimated at $1,000 or less and may not be able to provide additional details for lots valued under $500. Heritage does not guarantee the condition of frames and shall not be liable for any damage/scratches to frames, glass/acrylic coverings, original boxes, display accessories, or art that has slipped in frames. All lots are sold "AS IS" under the Terms & Conditions of Auction.