Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol’s BAD

In National Galleries of Scotland (Edinburgh, UK)

Paolozzi Gallery display

Artist: Andy Warhol 1928–1987
Medium: Lithograph on paper
Dimensions: Support: 757 x 1010 mm
frame: 838 x 1085 x 38 mm
Collection: ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland
Acquisition: ARTIST ROOMS Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008
Reference: AR00386

Online caption

Throughout his career Warhol made numerous films, many of which were experimental and pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable in cinema. ‘Bad’ was Warhol’s last film, featuring Jed Johnson as director and Warhol as executive producer. The script was based on Warhol’s idea of creating a film that followed the headlines from Enquirer magazine. It centres on a New York housewife who runs both an electrolysis business and a hit-man service in order to keep up with household bills. With the murderers exclusively women, they specialise in the more ‘unpleasant’ jobs such as killing children. Warhol’s name was in itself a brand and by incorporating it into the title, he successfully draws on his own celebrity as a marketing tool.