Book Review

Controversy seems to follow the artistic endeavors of the Warhola family. Their work is either whole-heartedly embraced or rejected out of hand, and Uncle Andy’s by James Warhola is no exception. The New York Times review is very mixed, and so are the reactions of readers as given in informal forums like amazon.com. Maybe part of it is a conflict between Pittsburgh and everywhere else.

James Warhola grew up in Pittsburgh. So did Uncle Andy, so did I. With the exception of Uncle Andy, who returned only to be buried, we like to think of Pittsburgh as a cultural mecca, with plenty of offerings for anyone who wants to take advantage of them. In addition, the extreme ethnic flavor of our hometown makes us think that behaviors that may or may not be normal are, in fact normal and natural. Pittsburghers, sensitive about “redding up” their rooms, and especially Rusyn readers, will identify with the packrat habits displayed by the Warholas. Andy was an infamous packrat, and most of us are too, with varying degrees of organization. James Warhola fits those two ideas together very well with the beautiful watercolor illustrations and text:

Mom was always yelling to Dad, “For Pete’s sake, Paul, quit junking up the house!” and “Paul, when are you going to get rid of this stuff, anyhow?” But we liked playing in the junk.

The New York Times review treats the sudden onslaught of Pittsburghers as the coming of the country bumpkin relatives. These summer visits seem to be the opposite of what happens for most kids: instead of going to experience the countryside, the Warholas go to experience the city. Still, it is as if visiting Uncle Andy was not such a big change in environment, because everyone was surrounded by junk. Perhaps Ms. Shapiro does not realize that for Our People, that “junk” is actually acquired treasure.

In the review, and in real life, the least understood is matriarch Julia Warhola.

Not surprisingly, he [James Warhola] also shades the facts a bit. According to one of Andy Warhol’s biographers, Bubba wasn’t exactly the classic granny pictured in the pictures here. She lived in the basement of the house, where she had a cross on the wall, a few sticks of furniture and countless Siamese cats. Apparently she spent most of the day drinking Scotch.

James’s response is heartening, as are his illustrations of Julia at work:

…She accuses me of shading the facts about someone I knew for almost 20 years.… I guarantee you that she had a lovely garden apartment with beautiful furniture, and she did not drink!

Even though the book is about Uncle Andy, Baba (Bubba) is just as important a protagonist. With her in the spotlight, it is obvious how much everyone loved her, and everyone thought that seeing her was just as wonderful as seeing Uncle Andy. In an interview with a Slovak publication, James said:

I wanted people to know more about Andy’s mother Julia, whom we all called baba. Though she was a simple woman from Miková, with her wisdom, creativity and love, she had the most influence on Andy’s work and success.

After viewing, discussing and listening to many people talk about Warhol’s work, I’ve found that Julia’s role is one of the most interesting. Her beautiful handwriting is echoed in Warhola’s illustrations, and her presence in the book not only adds to the nostalgia, but also reminds Rusyn readers of their own Babas, creating a connection that so many hate to make between themselves and Uncle Andy.

The true strength of Uncle Andy’s is the illustrations. Like his uncle, James Warhola is strongest as an illustrator, having followed Uncle Andy to Carnegie Mellon and then to New York to work. Warhola’s watercolors are truly works of art, and they make up the backbone of the book. The text is age-appropriate (ages 4-8), so many older readers may be jaded by their knowledge of Uncle Andy’s life outside of his home and visits from his family.

There’s an obvious connection in the illustrations between James, who wears a red and white striped shirt throughout the book, and Uncle Andy, looking cool in his jeans, black t-shirt, and Beatle boots. James, as a character in the book, begins to associate Uncle Andy and Baba as fellow artists, and the progression to the adult James is a natural, believable one. In a lot of ways, Uncle Andy’s isn’t really a story about his family visiting Uncle Andy, it’s an autobiography.

MS. Originally printed in Outpost Dispatch, Volume 2, Issue 7, July 2004.