Gagosian is to open Andy Warhol’s Insiders at the Gagosian Shop in London’s historic Burlington Arcade, a group exhibition and shop takeover that feature portraits of Warhol by friends and collaborators including photographers Ronnie Cutrone, Michael Halsband, Christopher Makos, and Billy Name.
The Shop is presenting a selection of Warhol prints, publications, merchandise, and rare books and posters, including prints from his Ladies and Gentlemen portfolio (1975), prints of his Cow (1971) and Fish (1983) wallpaper designs, and Richard Bernstein’s original collages for the covers of Interview, alongside signed copies of the magazine.
As early as the 1950s, Warhol employed assistants in the production and archiving of his paintings, films, publications, and media projects. Many of them became photographers, and captured Warhol in the studio, traveling, and enjoying parties, openings, and nightlife around New York City. In the early 1960s, Billy Name, a lighting manager turned photographer, took iconic shots of Warhol’s Factory, depicting the production of artworks such as the Brillo Boxes (1964) and Warhol’s collaborations with the Velvet Underground. In the wake of his 1969 shooting, Warhol employed a new circle of young assistants including Ronnie Cutrone and Christopher Makos, who worked with and photographed him until his death in 1987. Makos is best known for the Altered Image series (1981), which shows Warhol in feminine wigs and makeup, but also photographed him on trips around the United States, Europe, and Asia.
By the 1980s, Warhol had expanded his practice to television and print media and Interview magazine—which he founded in 1969 as an underground film journal—had grown into an important pop-cultural resource. Artist Richard Bernstein produced portraits of actors, musicians, models, and cultural icons for its covers.Andy Warhol’s Insiders reveals the collaborative diversity of Warhol’s practice, and his love of not only working behind the scenes, but also posing for the camera.
Andy Warhol’s Insiders, May 25th–July 8th, 2023, Gagosian Shop, Burlington Arcade, London
The exhibition and Shop takeover coincide with Basquiat × Warhol á Quatre Hands at Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris (April 5–August 28); Andy Warhol: Silver Screen at Gagosian, rue de Castiglione, Paris (June 1–July 29); and the reopening of the National Portrait Gallery, London, on June 22.
