Camp: Notes on Fashion, 2019 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ever since I snapped this image at the exhibit Camp: Notes on Fashion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Summer of 2019 I’ve been thinking of writing about this great American visionary and artist. Since Andy would have celebrated his 95th birthday this past Sunday August 6th I thought this week was the perfect time to share an article about him.

Andy grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. the youngest of four brothers. As a child he suffered from Sydenham Chorea a disease that causes involuntary movements of the extremities. He spent time confined to bed at age 8 and later when speaking about this time said he occupied himself by drawing and listening to the radio; saying this period was very important to his personality development.

I learned through my research Andy won an award Scholastic Art and Writing Award during High School. He attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he studied commercial art. While at CMU he joined the Modern Dance Club and Beaux Arts Society. Andy was the art director of the student art magazine: Cano, illustrating a cover in 1948 below: Sprite Heads Playing Violins.

Sprite Heads Playing Violins, 1948

He also illustrated a full-page in 1949 below. These are believed to be his first published art.

After earning a degree in Pictorial Design in 1949 Andy moved to New York City and began his first career - in magazine illustration and advertising. He drew shoes for Glamour magazine. Andy’s work was well received at Glamour and he was given more and more pages per issue. He was soon working for shoe manufacturer I.Miller. During this time Andy developed his "blotted line" technique, applying ink to paper and then blotting the ink while still wet, which was similar to printmaking. His use of tracing paper and ink allowed him to repeat the basic image and also to create endless variations on a single theme.

I.Miller Illustrations

Andy had his first solo show at the Hugo Gallery, New York in 1952. In 1956, he was included in his first group exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. His 1957 his show at the Bodley Gallery, New York included many early ink drawings and some shoe advertisements.

At this time he’s working to pay bills and simultaneously pursuing his art.

By the late 1950’s Andy had started tracing photographs projected with an epidiascope. He used Edward Wallowitch, his boyfriend’s photograph Young Man Smoking a Cigarette (1956) in 1958 for a book jacket design for the Walter Ross novel The Immortal and later used others for a series of paintings.

Andy was hired by RCA Records to design album covers and promotional materials.

In 1962 Andy learned silk screen printmaking and in his book Popism: The Warhol Sixties, Warhol wrote: "When you do something exactly wrong, you always turn up something."

In May 1962, Andy was featured in an article in Time magazine with his painting Big Campbell's Soup Can with Can Opener (Vegetable) (1962). That painting became his first to be shown in a museum when it was exhibited at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford in July 1962. On July 9, 1962, Andy’s exhibition opened at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles with Campbell's Soup Cans, marking his West Coast debut. The Gallery, displayed the paintings on shelves running the length of the space, like shelves in a supermarket aisle. “Cans sit on shelves,” Irving Blum one of the gallery owners said later about his installation. “Why not?”

In November 1962, Andy had an exhibition at Eleanor Ward's Stable Gallery in New York. The exhibit included the works Gold Marilyn, eight of the classic "Marilyn" series also named "Flavor Marilyns", Marilyn Diptych, 100 Soup Cans, 100 Coke Bottles, and 100 Dollar Bills. Gold Marilyn, was bought by the architect Philip Johnson and donated to the Museum of Modern Art. At the exhibit, Warhol met poet John Giorno, who would star in Warhol's first film, Sleep (1964).

In early 1963, Andy rented his first studio, an old firehouse at 159 East 87th Street. There he created his Elvis series, which included Eight Elvises (1963) and Triple Elvis (1963). These portraits along with a series of Elizabeth Taylor portraits were shown at his second exhibition at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles. Later that year, Warhol relocated his studio to East 47th Street, which would turn into The Factory. The Factory became a popular gathering spot for a wide range of artists, celebrities, musicians and writers.

In the spring of 1964 Andy had his second exhibition at the Stable Gallery featuring sculptures. The pieces were wooden boxes with silk-screened graphics consisting of Brillo Box, Del Monte Peach Box, Heinz Tomato Ketchup Box, Kellogg's Cornflakes Box, Campbell's Tomato Juice Box, and Mott's Apple Juice Box. They were stalked and scattered like a warehouse.

A pivotal event was The American Supermarket exhibition at Paul Bianchini's Upper East Side gallery in the fall of 1964. The show presented as a typical supermarket with everything in it created by pop artists. Andy designed a $12 paper shopping bag - plain white with a red Campbell's soup can. His painting of a can of a Campbell's soup cost $1,500 while each autographed can sold for 3 for $18, $6.50 each. The exhibit was one of the first events that shared pop art with the public and asked the question what is art.

The American Supermarket exhibition, Paul Bianchini Gallery, 1964

As an advertisement illustrator Andy has used assistants and this continued in the 1960’s. Gerard Malanga assisted Andy with silkscreens, films, sculpture, and other works at The Factory. He also had a group of individuals whom he entitled “superstars” that worked with him on various projects at The Factory including his films.

In 1967 Andy established Factory Additions for his printmaking and publishing enterprise.

On June 3, 1968, radical feminist writer Valerie Solanas shot Andy and Mario Amaya at The Factory. On the day of the shooting she’d been at The Factory and asked for the return of a script she’d given to Andy. The script could not be located. Solanas had been a marginal figure in the Factory scene. In 1967 she wrote the SCUM Manifesto, a separatist feminist tract that advocated the elimination of men; and appeared in the 1968 Warhol film I,a Man.

Unlike Amaya who had minor injuries and was released from the hospital the same day; Andy was seriously wounded by the attack and barely survived. Two bullets from Solanas’ gun tore through his stomach, liver, spleen, esophagus and both lungs. He was briefly declared dead at one point, but doctors were able to revive him. He spent two months in the hospital recuperating from various surgeries and would be forced to wear a surgical corset for the rest of his life to hold his organs in place.

The shooting had a major impact on his life and work, even beyond the considerable physical scars. He became more guarded and focused on business. In 1969, Andy and John Wilcock founded Interview magazine.

Many feel the shooting contributed to Andy’s early death at age 58. Andy’s intense fear of hospitals led him to delay having gallbladder surgery for years. When Dr. Thorbjarnarson finally operated on February 21 the surgeon found a gallbladder full of gangrene; the organ fell to pieces as he removed it. Andy was also dehydrated and emaciated from having barely eaten in the previous month. Post operation Andy was in his room making calls that evening. He was fine at 4am when his private nurse checked on him. Two hours later he was unresponsive and resuscitation efforts failed. He died of cardiac arrest February 22, 1987.

Warhol had this to say about the attack:

“Before I was shot, I always thought that I was more half-there than all-there—I always suspected that I was watching TV instead of living life. People sometimes say that the way things happen in movies is unreal, but actually it's the way things happen in life that's unreal. The movies make emotions look so strong and real, whereas when things really do happen to you, it's like watching television—you don't feel anything. Right when I was being shot and ever since, I knew that I was watching television. The channels switch, but it's all television.”

In 1971 there was a retrospective of his work at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 1973 he created his portrait of Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong. In 1975, he published The Philosophy of Andy Warhol. An idea expressed in the book: "Making money is art, and working is art and good business is the best art."

Andy was often at nightclubs in NYC spending a lot of time at Studio 54. In 1977, Warhol was commissioned by art collector Richard Weisman to create Athletes, ten portraits of the leading athletes of the day.

Andy dedicated time to finding patrons for portrait commissions including Brigitte Bardot, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Liza Minnelli, the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, his wife Empress Farah Pahlavi, his sister Princess Ashraf Pahlavi and Diana Ross. Reviewers were not kind to his exhibit of portraits calling them superficial and commercial with no depth. In 1979, Andy and longtime friend Stuart Pivar founded the New York Academy of Art.

In the 1980’s Andy gained critical and financial success; partially due to his ventures with younger artists. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, David Salle. Andy also earned street credibility when graffiti artist Fab Five Freddy paid homage by painting an entire train with Campbell soup cans. But, there was still criticism that Andy was becoming a business artist. Critics panned his 1980 exhibition Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century at the Jewish Museum in Manhattan. In hindsight, however, some critics have come to view Andy’s commerciality as "the most brilliant mirror of our times.”

Andy had an appreciation for Hollywood glamour. He once said: "I love Los Angeles. I love Hollywood. They're so beautiful. Everything's plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic.” Andy occasionally walked the fashion runways and did product endorsements, represented by Zoli Agency and later Ford Models.

In 1983 Andy teamed with 15 other artists including David Hockney and Cy Twombly, and contributed a Speed Skater print. The Speed Skater was used for the official 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics poster.

In 1984, Andy created Orange Prince (1984) when he was commissioned by Vanity Fair Magazine for a portrait to be included in an upcoming article about the musician Prince.

In September 1985, Andy’s exhibition with Jean-Michel Basquiat: Paintings opened to negative reviews at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery.

Despite Andy’s apprehension later that same month his silkscreen series: Reigning Queens was shown at the Leo Castelli Gallery. The subjects of the 16 pieces were Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Ntfombi Twala of Swaziland and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. In the Andy Warhol Diaries, Andy wrote, "They were supposed to be only for Europe—nobody here cares about royalty and it'll be another bad review."

Opening Sequence Andy Warhol’s Fifteen minutes

Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes aired on MTV from 1985 to 1987. The five episodes exposed Andy to a whole new audience. I remember watching it.

In January 1987, Andy traveled to Milan for the opening of his last exhibition, Last Supper, at the Palazzo delle Stelline.

On February 17, 1987 Andy and jazz musician Miles Davis modeled at the Koshin Satoh's fashion show at the Tunnel in New York City in a mere 5 days Andy would be dead.

“Someone said that Andy was a skyscraper and when he died the skyline of New York changed,” said Yoko Ono, who described Warhol as the “mentor” of her fatherless son, Sean Lennon. “But it hasn’t changed. Andy is still with us and he will always be.”

I own a print of So Meow. I need to find the perfect stop for it in the Chalet!

I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Andy Warhol and I hope you did too! Watch THE Andy Warhol DIARIES on Netflix if you haven’t.

Til next time be well and I’ll see you over on Instagram.

All Images Linked. Research: History, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Wikipedia.

I’m in the delightful position with my weekly blog to share talented friends, their products or tips and this week I’m sharing five extraordinary women and their go to styling tips for coffee tables and more!

“...just me collecting and enjoying what I think are pretty things!”

— Kiki Verdi

When I saw this painted coffee table on Facebook Marketplace for $35.00, I knew it was exactly what I needed for our home on Cape Cod. As soon as I got it home, I began my treasure hunt for items I had on hand.

A coffee table should be topped with what makes you happy because if you’re like me, you sit in front of it a lot!
I found a few blue and white pieces, candles, books, a bowlful of shells, a thrifted black tray and a silver tray to hold our remotes. The green tin is from Thailand and a gift from my sister. There’s a hymnal from 1926 given to me by a dear friend. And a couple of vintage Cape Cod magazines. I love how everything works together. $35.00 well spent!

Because our ottoman doubles as our coffee table since we like to put our feet up, I always use a tray on top to give a flat surface to style my ever-evolving décor. I love to change up my tray about once a week. Must haves for me:

Something alive – fresh flowers, plants, foliage – sometimes more than one.

Depending on the tray size, I find it easiest to divide the tray evenly – either in thirds or quadrants for styling.
I use books to vary the height and give more presence to smaller objects.
I ALWAYS have a yummy smelling candle on there that I light every night both for ambiance and aroma.
The other items change – usually there is a ginger jar, a small dish or tray or a fun object to display. Sometimes I use vintage finds before I list them in my shop and I like to rotate some of my favorite décor pieces from my shelves depending on my mood and the season.

Coffee or side table styling is one of my favorite things to do along with bookcase styling of course. For me, these tables are like a blank canvas where really, anything goes - as long as you can achieve a balance. My personal style is layered and collected and I like to think my tablescapes reflect this. A few elements I always try to incorporate are:

Beautiful books both for the visual interest and to help create different heights to display other elements
Sculptural elements and curiosities to break up the lines, bring in a mix of materials, add interest and spark conversation (I tend to have a lot of heads)
A tray to bring in another layer and to display smaller items
Fresh flowers - always!

Playing with height and viewpoints around the table is important to me so that no matter where you are sitting in relation to the table, you always have an interesting view.

I think every space should have a variety of tables: coffee, side, and occasional. I never want anyone to wonder where they can set their drink, but more importantly, I like to have as many spots as possible to display my tchotchkes. As an avid collector, there are never ever enough surfaces on which to place my treasures.

If I’m lucky enough to have a coffee or side table to style, my go-to decor “cocktail” is:

A tray, stack of books, a plant or flowers, and at least one sculptural item—the more unique the better. While the players might change, the recipe is always the same!
Depending on the line of sight, I will choose items of varying height or all of a similar height.
My biggest pieces of advice for styling a table are to have fun and switch things out—table displays are easy to change in and out regularly, without upsetting too many other things.

Coffee table: This is a fairly large table that can handle a lot of layers. I have a hard time saying it's "styled" because I don’t put a lot of thought into it I add and take away items based only on feel... and that goes for balance, scale, color, and most especially sentiment but, there are always:

Art and design books and the marble turntable is a place I use for displaying sentimental things - currently my father's vintage lighters and other small objects I love.
Flowers are a favorite way to add a pop of color, especially because the room is very neutral. Nothing on the table is precious but everything is special to me.

Console table: The recipe or non-recipe I use on the coffee table works here as well. This console table is glass and more contemporary I like it because it doesn't add a lot of weight to the room and is essentially for overflow. The picture frame with the snapshot of our youngest eating a popsicle is a favorite. The rest of the table is for decorative objects like candles, plants, and books. Like all the other surfaces in the room, the console evolves with the seasons and my mood.

Mantel: My living room mantel is minimalist, due to a lack of depth from the built-in cabinet. I focus objects on either end - like these two little topiaries that were purchased years ago and are pretty much staples in their current spots. Other small objects and pieces of art come and go, like this sweet little oil painting I picked up at a thrift store over the winter. We don't really use the television inside the cabinet, so sometimes I lean larger pieces of art against the doors.

Thank you! Melody, Cameron, Alison, Hilary and Kiki for saying YES when asked to share your knowledge with my readers. I truly appreciate you! xo

I enjoyed learning how each of these friends create such beautiful tableaus. Til next time be well, I’ll see you over on Instagram and you should click through the images and go follow these ladies. You’ll be so happy you did!