Interview Magazine’s iPad App Would Make Warhol Proud

by Blair Hickman | 1:21 pm, February 10th, 2010

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Though digital magazines were conspicuously missing at the iPad’s debut, Interview, according to the HuffPo, previewed its digital brethren last night at its 40th anniversary party at the Hudson Hotel’s Good Units. The Factory would be proud on so many levels.

“When Andy Warhol founded Interview four decades ago, he did so with an ethos that embraced the new,” the magazine said in an announcement. “As with his art, Warhol re-wrote the rulebook with Interview, creating an innovative, intelligent, sophisticated, cutting-edge magazine that was culturally impactful, pushed the boundaries of the medium, and reinvented what a magazine could be. So it’s entirely fitting that Interview is once again at the forefront of reinventing the magazine experience for Apple’s iPad, combining the benefits of the digital age with the familiar advantages of Guttenberg’s printing press to deliver a groundbreaking, knock-out reader experience. One could call Interview magazine on the iPad ‘an affordable Warhol screenprint.’”

The preview has a few noises that I hope will be disabled on the real app, but overall, it looks like a success. The application beautifully integrates text, video, audio and images, provides easy browsing and zoom, rating and sharing capabilities. But perhaps best of all, the iPad lets Interview’s remarkable photography shine. Generally speaking, fashion and photo spreads in online magazines are about as impressive as finger paintings–not at the fault of the photographer but simply the current state of the medium. However, if Interview’s preview is any indication of what’s to come, then the iPad may restore digital magazines to a level that Warhol would be proud of.

By the time the iPad drops (yeah, I went there), the 40th anniversary issue, featuring Kristen Stewart, the December/January 2010 (Penelope Cruz), February 2010 (Jay-Z) and March 2010 (fashion) will be ready for your viewing pleasure. You can watch the full preview video here.