Andy Warhol and Friends

In 1965, Steve Schapiro started documenting Andy Warhol for Life Warhol was cementing a reputation as an important Pop artist who drew his inspiration from popular culture and commercial objects. With his sunglasses, blond wig, and bland public utterances, Warhol was enigmatic, charismatic, intensely ambitious, and aware that to become a star, you needed the presence of people to document your ascent. Schapiro, also ambitious and hardworking, who in his own words “kept quiet and smiled a lot,” was an ideal witness to Warhol’s relentless rise from cult New York artist to 20th-century icon. Ironically, Life never published the story, so many of these images are seen here for the first time, scanned from negatives found deep in Schapiro’s archive. Featuring more than 120 photographs, Schapiro’s images are juxtaposed with tipped-in plates of original Warhol artworks exhibited during the period. The art works include Before and After, 4, 1962, Colored Campbell’s Soup Can, 1965, Sample Green Stamps, 1965, One Dollar Bills (Fronts), 1962, 100 Cans, 1962, Flowers, 1965, Shot Red Marilyn, 1964, Elvis I and II [Elvis Diptych] [Ferus Type], 1963–64, Green Disaster # 2 (Green Disaster Ten Times), 1963, White Disaster (White Car Crash 19 Times), 1963, and many others. Also featuring an interview with Steve Schapiro, who passed away in early 2022, and an essay and extended captions by official Warhol biographer Blake Gopnik. Andy Warhol and Friends 1965–1966 is a definitive portrait of a groundbreaking artist at a transformative period in postwar American culture. Collector’s Edition of 600 copies (No. 101–700), each numbered and signed by Steve Schapiro.