Love is a Pink Cake by Corkie & Andy

Beginning in the early 50s, Andy Warhol self published a series of books and portfolios. Printed on commercial lithographic machinery, these monochrome books were Warhol’s first foray into multiples and print.

These self-published books & portfolios, were sent to existing or prospective clients as samples of his work.  They represent a showcase of Warhol’s innate sense of design & composition, as well as his humor & wit.

Within this body of work, Love Is A Pink Cake, is unique, being the only one of Warhol’s publications where he neither traces the images or uses his blotted line technique. As with Warhol’s later prints there are a great deal of irregularities & variations from one copy to the next. For example, some copies of Love is a Pink Cake include 24 offset lithographs, while others contain 25. Some of the drawings have additional text (tra & la).

For this book Warhol turned to the work of various well-known graphic artists, including Currier & Ives and J. J. Grandville, though he was certainly not restricted to illustrations of the ­­characters that he was portraying. Hence Oscar Wilde is based on an illustration: "The Lovers' Quarrel", with the woman removed.

The texts by Ralph T. Ward (“Corkie”) are considered to imply a possible intimate relationship with Warhol, some are vulgar, while others are full of insight. Just as Warhol’s illustrations vary from the primitive to sophisticated charm.