Warhol superstar
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The Warhol Superstars refers to a coterie of New York personalities promoted by Andy Warhol during the 1960s and early 1970s. The superstars appeared in Warhol’s artworks and accompanied him in his social life.
The first recognised superstar is Baby Jane Holzer who Warhol used in many of his early film experiments. Warhol’s interest in applying a model drawn from Fordism to the production of art saw this relationship set the pattern for many years to come.
The superstars would help Warhol generate publicity while Warhol offered fame and attention in return. Warhol’s philosophies of art and celebrity met in a way that replicated the film studios at their most powerful. The actors belonged to the studio and were to do as instructed.
(See Andy Warhol. The Philosophy of Andy Warhol)
Perhaps the most well known of Warhol’s superstars is Edie Sedgwick. Sedgwick and Warhol became very close during 1965 but their relationship ended abruptly early in the next year. Warhol would continue to associate himself with beautiful women including Viva, Ultra Violet, Nico and International Velvet.
Warhol’s infamous ‘Factory’ played host to most of his superstars and as his experiments in film continued he became more interested in the bohemian eccentrics attracted to the studio. Some of the most important superstars to emerge from the period of the first Factory, known as the 'Silver Factory' because it was entirely painted silver, include Paul America, Ondine, Taylor Mead, Mary Woronov, Eric Emerson, Gerard Malanga, Billy Name and Brigid Berlin (also known as Brigid Polk).
In the later films, made in collaboration with Paul Morrissey, Warhol brought in new superstars including Joe Dallesandro, Penny Arcade, Andrea Feldman, Jane Forth, Geraldine Smith and Sylvia Miles. During this period Warhol developed an increasing fascination with drag queens and promoted Candy Darling, Holly Woodlawn and Jackie Curtis to superstar status.
Warhol significantly reduced his public accessibility after being shot by Valerie Solanas in 1968. The age of the Warhol superstar soon faded leaving the Chelsea Girls (a film about life amongst 'the superstars' at Hotel Chelsea ) as the only film to achieve success beyond the confines of artistic New York.
The later Warhol/Morrissey collaborations Flesh, Trash, Heat and Women in Revolt; into which Warhol had little input, are more frequently seen.