Netflix’s The Andy Warhol Diaries is an intimate look at one of the most prolific and celebrated artists of the 20th century. Despite his prominence in the public eye, the artist preferred to keep his personal and intimate life private. The Netflix 6-episode limited series compiles interviews of people who knew Warhol and never-before-seen home videos in which he is featured. The series is also narrated by the AI recreated voice of the artist himself; actor Bill Irwin recites pieces of Warhol’s own words which are, with sophisticated technologies, overlaid with a computer-generated recreation of Warhol’s voice. This decision gives the documentary a haunting aura, but it also paints a deeply insightful portrait of the artist.
The series is deeply inspired by Pat Hackett’s 1989 dictated memoir of the artist which bears the same title as the Netflix documentary. The book spans the last decade of the life of Andy Warhol and is a truncated version of the artist’s 20,000 page journal. It was published two years after the artist’s death and offered the world a close look into his private life and thoughts. With the information presented in this written work and incredible artistic masterminding, director Andrew Rossi has created a stunning work that brings the hidden life of Andy Warhol to life. From his near-fatal gunshot wound delivered by Valerie Solanas to his love affairs with Jed Johnson and Jon Gould, the series takes a deep dive into the drama and glamour that surrounded Warhol.
The limited series has taken the art world by storm since its release. Warhol is one of the most renowned, researched, and well-known artists in modern art history. However, very little personal information was known about him prior to Netflix’s release. During his lifetime, Warhol expertly concealed details regarding his love life, sexuality and inner beliefs in order to maintain his privacy. He was beloved by celebrities, art critics and the everyday population for what he offered to society; with the release of The Andy Warhol Diaries, his cultural contributions are reinvigorated and can now be experienced in a completely unprecedented manner.
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