After Andy Warhol

Record cover art by Andy Warhol for The Velvet Underground And Nico.

• Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987).
• Accompanied by its original vinyl record.
• Offset lithograph on vinyl record sleeve.
• Printed signature to lower front.

Warhol became the Velvet Underground’s manager in 1966 after seeing them perform in Greenwich Village and then brought German born singer Nico to the table.

Warhol designed the cover as a self-standing artwork, and this is marked by Warhol’s very noticeable printed hand signature. In dissociating the concept of the artwork from the band itself and achieving wide distribution, Warhol created something revolutionary in nature. Warhol scholar Paul Marechal says, “After sublimating an everyday object, he then reintroduced it into daily life through a vehicle accessible to all, the record. Perhaps Warhol wanted to be as well-known as Coca-Cola.”

The original album cover allowed fans to peel back the banana skin as a sticker, revealing the fruit of a nude-colored banana underneath. The sexually charged effect was challenging for manufacturers to first pull off (the time it took to perfect the peel was partly the reason the album’s original release was delayed), but MGM deemed it necessary since Warhol’s visual presence opened unprecedented doors.