Andy Warhol... According to Christopher Makos
Described by the artist as “eight wigs, two days of posing, 16 contact sheets and 349 shots,” Christopher Makos captured a brief but revealing portrait of his friend and fellow artist, Andy Warhol. This year, we are very lucky to be offering an original from this historic photo shoot - which offers a brief glimpse into the late artist’s life and mercurial personality. Here’s a video snippet from the show at Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York:
The description from the J. Paul Getty Museum website captures the spirit of the session well:
Ongoing thanks and gratitude go out to Barb Shadomy and her partner Karen Meyer - owner of Stonehurst Place, an ARTvision sponsor - for donating the piece and signed book to our event this year. The framed, matted print comes with a certificate of authenticity and verso stamping. The book is a signed, original copy of “Lady Warhol” by Christopher Makos.Andy Warhol enjoyed dressing for parties in drag, sometimes in dresses of his own design. He admired "the boys who spend their lives trying to be complete girls," so in 1981 he and a photographic assistant, Christopher Makos, agreed to collaborate on a session portraying Warhol in drag. In many ways, they modeled the series on Man Ray's 1920s work with the French artist Marcel Duchamp, in which the two artists created a female alter ego name Rrose Sélavy for Duchamp. Warhol and Makos made a number of pictures, both black-and-white prints and color Polaroids, of their first attempt. For the second round of pictures, they hired a theater makeup person. This stage professional better understood the challenge of transforming a man's face into that of a woman. After the makeup, Warhol tried on curled, straight, long, short, dark, and blonde wigs. Here he appears in a conventionally masculine white shirt and plaid tie.
More details:
- Silver Gelatin Print on Professional Paper
- Dimensions: 10” x 8” sheet, 8 ¼” x 6 ¼” image. Framed approx. 12” x 12”
- Stamped on verso: EXHIBITION PRINT NOT FOR RESALE, numbered 0090927
- Christopher Makos, MAKOSTUDIO 1104, 20 West 20th Stret, New York, New York 10011
- Photograhph © 81 Christopher Makos ((‘81’ is hand written in pencil).
- Provenance: Galery Hafenrichter and Flügel in Nürnberg, Germany.
- Certificate of Authenticity accompanies photograph.
The Christopher Makos print from the “Altered Images” collection is offered to ARTvision buyers exclusively for a donation to Positive Impact of $1,100. The signed, original “Lady Warhol” book is offered at $150. Reserve both today, and see both in person:
Please join us on 1 December 2011 at The Phillip Rush Center for ARTvision Atlanta’s first standalone event. As always, 100% of proceeds benefit Positive Impact. (RSVP on Facebook or Evite)
