B O O K R E V I E W S
Andy Warhol Drawings
Chronicle Books, 79 pages, $19.95
Before he was the darling of the New York art scene, Andy Warhol was a successful commercial illustrator.
Within those illustrations and many of these early drawings are elements that became more defined in his later work.
The repetition of patterns, blotchy black outlines and the coloured washes seen here evolved into his signature style.
In this collection of his early work, gorgeous fashion illustrations are mixed in with whimsical animal figures.
Warhol's diversity is presented through the selected drawings while showing the connection to his later approach through his colour choices and flat drawing style.
Shoes and cats appear throughout the book much as they continued to be part of Warhol's art later on.
Interspersed through the art are quotations that offer more insight into his approach and provide a great counterbalance to the drawings.
NEW YORK DRAWINGS
By Adrian Tomine Drawn & Quarterly, 175 pages, $20.95
A sideways glance, a hint of longing, a feeling of sadness, these are common elements in the drawings of Adrian Tomine.
Underlying messages rise up as you study his work and you see the connections between the characters.
His illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker magazine since 2004. From that collection of work, Tomine has presented this look at New York, the city he left California for.
His clean style with its soft colour scheme pulls you into each image.
You can see his message right away as you are presented with his illustration and the accompanying story. As you spend more time viewing the work, the subtleties of expression and interplay between the characters becomes stronger.
Tomine provides notes at the end of the book about each drawing and what he was assigned to illustrate.
He makes further comments on his motivations, which makes you want to go.
-TS
