Since the inception of his carefully curated image, Andy Warhol has been an enigma to fans and critics alike. An air of mystery and, at times, confusion surrounded him from his heyday in the ’60s until his unexpected death in the ’80s. Instead of breaking character or shying away, Warhol played up his persona even more, as he said deadpan things such as, “I love Los Angeles. I love Hollywood. They’re beautiful. Everybody’s plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic.”

However, despite his projection of a crafted persona and a guarded private laugh, the enigma of Andy Warhol can be explored through his relationship with those around him. Beyond the surface level image and monotone voice is a brain with a very specific perspective on the ‘American dream.’ The Andy Warhol Diaries examines his relationships with friends, lovers and colleagues in-depth. This gives the viewer insight into what lies beyond the facade. Directed by Andrew Rossi, with Ryan Murphy as the executive producer, the Netflix series spans six episodes, each ranging between 50 and 80 minutes.

The source material for this series is a book of the same name, that Warhol dictated verbatim to writer Pat Hackett during the last few years of his life. The book was edited and published following Warhol’s death. The narration is framed by an AI generated voice that sounds like Warhol himself. While AI generated voices mimicking dead artists have been criticised in the past, it seems rather fitting for Andy Warhol as he famously said, “Machines have less problems. I’d rather be a machine, wouldn’t you?”

The first episode opens with AI Warhol nihilistically saying, “I’ve got these desperate feelings that nothing means anything.” The episode focuses on his humble beginnings as the child of Eastern European immigrants in Pittsburgh. As he finds his calling in the form of avante-garde art, he becomes a force of nature in the New York art scene.

Through the exploration of his interaction with these men, Warhol’s enigma begins to fade away and the audience catches a glimpse of who he really was. The artist is further humanised as viewers get to see how he wrestles with his sexuality, his relationship to Catholicism, his insecurities and health phobias.

Featuring interviews from artistic veterans who knew Andy better than anyone, the series avoids repetition of facts and presents fresh information. From celebrities such as Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry to regressive filmmaker John Waters of Pink Flamingos fame, viewers gain insight into how Warhol wasn’t the celibate, white haired eccentric that he appeared to be. Through these interviews, the audience becomes privy to his personal life and his extensive romance with Jon Gould. Gould appears to be the yin to his yang, as he is an all-American looking, charismatic film executive. This creates a stark contrast against Warhol’s nihilistic demeanour and craft appearance.

Later episodes in the series define three key relationships and their impact on his life. Jed Johnson was the first, who came to New York with his twin Jay at 18 and accidentally went into the Factory. He ended up working as a janitor, and later moved in with Warhol to take care of him after sustaining gunshot wounds inflicted by Valerie Solanas. Jon Gould was the second. His romance with Warhol was extensively covered through letters and even poems that they wrote to one another. Although Warhol kept rather silent about his personal life, sexuality and consequently the AIDS crisis, it becomes apparent that Gould and Warhol had a genuine, romantic connection. The final relationship covered is between Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquait, another prominent artist. Their relationship had several layers to it; admirer and muse, competitors, and at times, teacher and prodigy.

Through the exploration of his interaction with these men, Warhol’s enigma begins to fade away and the audience catches a glimpse of who he really was. The artist is further humanised as viewers get to see how he wrestles with his sexuality, his relationship to Catholicism, his insecurities and health phobias.

Despite the episodes having a long run-time, The Andy Warhol Diaries keeps viewers engaged through polaroids, home footage and interviews. The series is an excellent case study for a successfully executed documentary, which makes it a recommended watch.