Exposures, also known as Andy Warhol's Exposures, is a 1979 photography book by American artist Andy Warhol, with text co-written by Bob Colacello. Published by Andy Warhol Books, an imprint of Grosset & Dunlap, the book combines candid black-and-white photographs with anecdotal text to document Warhol's social circle and the celebrity culture of 1970s New York.
Background
Pop artist Andy Warhol was a photography enthusiast who famously carried around a Polaroid camera in the 1970s. He used Polaroids as the basis of his commissioned silkscreen portraits.
In 1976, Warhol and Bob Colacello, editor of Warhol's Interview magazine, both purchased a Minox 35EL camera while they were in Bonn. Considering the amount of traveling they did, Warhol suggested that they should do a photography book together with the photos they took at social events and business trips. Warhol liked how small and sleek the camera looked, comparing it to a "'spy' camera because it takes pictures without arousing the notice of the subject."
Photographer Christopher Makos was hired as the art director for the book to create the layout. Warhol himself described his omnipresence at such events with characteristic irony, writing that he would attend "the opening of anything, including a toilet seat." Its tone is informal and often gossipy, capturing figures from across art, fashion, politics, and entertainment, including Mick Jagger, Bianca Jagger, Truman Capote, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Liza Minnelli, Halston, Diana Vreeland, Calvin Klein, Muhammad Ali, Yves Saint Laurent, Jimmy Carter, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, Elton John, and others within Warhol's extended circle. They received 50% of the profits and a $35,000 advance but they had to pay the production costs. Production took longer than anticipated and most of their advance was used to cover the expenses. The book cost $25, but there were limited edition copies for $500 that included a silkscreen print signed by Warhol.
In November 1979, Warhol embarked on a 3-week book tour to promote Exposures. One stop on the tour was at Kramers in Washington, D.C. on November 13, 1979. According to Paul Richard of The Washington Post:
Critical reception
Critical responses noted that Exposures suggested a shift in Warhol's practice—from anticipating cultural trends to documenting them. Nevertheless, the book remains a vivid snapshot of late-1970s celebrity culture, shaped by Warhol's unique position at its center and his ongoing fascination with fame, intimacy, and social performance.
Marian Christy of The Boston Globe praised Warhol's humor in the book, writing "Warhol has simply given humor a new style ... Pop art has become pop humor." "Andy Warhol even knows how to make fun of himself. He shared precious tidbits about his private terrors," she added.