Kim Kardashian declared 'Absolute Icon' by Warhol

 Kim Kardashian                                                                        Warhol portraits                               

Did he or didn't he — that is the question when it comes to rumours that Kanye West commissioned nine Warhol portraits of fiancé Kim Kardashian. And if you ask artist Monica Warhol, who actually painted them, she can't even confirm it.

But the artist did confirm to MTV News that it was "someone close to Kanye" who called up her team for a series of colourful portraits of the reality TV star, but she's not quite sure of Yeezy's actual involvement.

"It's a gift that was commissioned and I can't reveal [who]. Unfortunately, now the photos have all been leaked, which sucks, but the person still wants to give the gift," Warhol, a relative of that other Warhol, Andy, added. "So if Kim and Kanye don't want it, that's kind of sad, but that might make that person feel bad, but that's pretty much where it is."

While the fate of the series remains unclear, Warhol's feeling about the 33-year-old reality starlet are crystal clear. She's a huge fan.

"You know what? I agree with Kanye, I really do. I think she's an absolute, absolute icon. She's absolutely gorgeous and I think he's brilliant and I think he's right," she said, citing comments the rapper made where he likened Kim to screen legend Marilyn Monroe (Andy Warhol made a silkscreen portrait of her in 1962).

"She's famous for nothing that in itself is like brilliant and genius, number one," she added. "Number two, she's so manufacturedly beautiful. She always looks amazing! Always! I don't know how she does it. I totally admire her. She puts her whole self out there... She looks like a human Barbie."

It seems that her portrait of Kim joins the trend of pop music and culture mingling quite comfortably with the art world, as previously seen with Jeff Koons and Lady Gaga, as well as Marina Abramovic's work with the Mother Monster and Jay Z.

"There can never be enough awareness brought to art and the art world, and the art world has changed throughout time," she said, even commenting on statements Gaga made where she called her ARTPOPera "a reverse Warholian expedition."

Warhol added, "There will never be another Andy Warhol. It's not me, it's not Lady Gaga. Truth be told, at the time of Andy Warhol, everybody bashed him — they said it wasn't art. People, I think, haven't really come to the understanding or bridged the gap that throughout time opinions change and then we look back and say, 'Wow, that really was a whole movement that really was the beginning of something.' I have so much respect for anybody who's gonna put themselves out there."

Besides Warhol's paintings, Kim is the buzz of the art world. Currently in Miami for Art Basel, the reality star was spotted hanging out with Gaga's bestie Koons. She posted a photograph of him smiling next to baby North for what she called "Art lessons!"