Did Andy Warhol Exploit His Iconic Superstars? A Critical Look Through a New Biography

In "Warhol’s Muses," Laurence Leamer delves into the stories of ten women from Andy Warhol’s circle whose artistic contributions, ambitions, and personal challenges have often been overshadowed. Known for his detailed biographies such as "Hitchcock’s Blondes" and "Capote’s Women," Leamer attempts to shed light on these figures, though the narrative largely revisits familiar aspects of Warhol’s eclectic world filled with pop art, drug culture, and high society.

The book profiles prominent figures like Baby Jane Holzer, Edie Sedgwick, and Nico—Warhol’s original muses or “Superstars.” These women are far from unknown; Holzer was famously spotlighted in the 1960s as a new It Girl, while Sedgwick’s life and ambitions have been chronicled extensively, including in notable biographies and documentaries. Similarly, Nico’s role as a central, if unstable, figure of the era has been examined repeatedly. Other subjects, like transgender icon Candy Darling, have received recent detailed biographies, while Warhol’s life and his Superstars were comprehensively covered in prior works.

Leamer aims for depth but opts for breadth, resulting in a somewhat superficial treatment of each subject. The short vignettes tend to rely on repetitive descriptions and clichés that, while evocative of Warhol’s pop art style, fall short of delivering nuanced insight. Each woman is briefly sketched with familiar tropes: one is "sophisticated beyond her years," another "willing to try almost anything," and yet another emerges from "humble beginnings." Warhol himself is portrayed with a quirky metaphor, likened to a Roomba, endlessly circling and gathering scraps at social gatherings.

Leamer’s strength lies in his vivid scene-setting, particularly when depicting the decadent and disreputable milieus surrounding Warhol. He captures the ironic charm of wealthy individuals feigning disarray, and sprinkles the narrative with sharp, often scandalous anecdotes. For instance, Holzer, from a wealthy Florida family, dismisses the concept of class after attending a Rolling Stones concert, a notion tempered by Leamer’s wry observation that her household staff might have disagreed.

However, many of these episodes reiterate the same well-worn story of 1960s counterculture excess and rebellion. The book repeatedly reminds readers of the decade’s political and cultural upheavals, referencing familiar figures like Bob Dylan, Brian Jones, and Jim Morrison without offering fresh perspectives. The narrative sometimes feels stuck in a time capsule, echoing a continuous loop of iconic but overfamiliar moments from the era’s soundtrack and imagery.