"the need for the "line-for-line" copying of just the API declarations was the bare minimum needed for interoperability in the world of software."
I would argue that the use of the Goldsmith art to create the silk screens was needed for the "interoperability" of the statement warhol was trying to make.
The fact that it IS specific, recognizable art is what makes the actual mental connection, a sort of "API of the psyche", if you will, and hopefully conveys the desired information to the endpoint, or viewer.
Interestingly enough, that was sort of one of the things I occasionally used my WinMo6 HTC Tilt for JUST A LITTLE.
Back in 2007 there was a period where I was doing a lot of work on deployed standalone application servers at remote client sites, some of which had little to no internet connection.
We'd audit servers before I traveled and send me with the "right software patches", but it didn't always work out perfectly and tethering was pretty primitive back then.
I loved being able to call someone, have them check something out of sourcesafe, then throw it up on one of our servers, where I could SSH in from my phone, grab files, edit them, then shove them on my MicroSD card, pull that, shove it in a USB adapter and patch an install for a server with no internet connection.
SUPER hinky by today's standards, but it felt pretty amazing at the time.
SO much awesome in everything there.