Cash Cow: Warhol limited edition key ring
Does anyone worry any more about cheapening an artist’s image by indiscriminate commercial licensing of images?
The Andy Warhol Foundation has been in the forefront of exploiting art as a licensing cash cow, an activity regarded by some as consistent with Warhol’s own values, because “early on he saw himself as a brand, as a vehicle to promote different items,” as the foundation’s licensing director, Michael Hermann, once told Maria Puente of USA Today.
Now there’s been a new spurt of licentious licensing, as reported today by Licensing.biz:
The Beanstalk Group has been busy boosting the licensing programme for
the Andy Warhol Foundation, revealing a number of new deals to
Licensing.biz [including jeans, resort and beachwear, luxury porcelain]….Nuit Blanche will be producing Andy Warhol chocolates and biscuits for Europe, launching in time for the Christmas season.
“It’s a Warhol world,” USA Today noted, “thanks to the Andy Warhol Foundation…which has stepped up licensing to focus more
on luxury products as demand steadily has increased.”
Gee, and I thought it was a Murakami world.