An Andy Warhol Story
So someone was talking about Andy Warhol and I remembered this tidbit from a long time ago:
Back in the day I worked at a gallery called Multiples on Madison and 74th in NYC that sold Andy’s work, and then later I worked at Chrysalis Studios, where the work was made. I was the guy who pulled the squeegie across the silk screens for Warhol’s Marilyn’s, Mao’s and Flowers. We also did a lot of Oldenburg and Lichtenstein. But Warhol was fun because I also had the job of stamping his signature onto those silkscreens with a graphite stamp we had (you didn’t think he actually did that, did you?). And I don’t know who did the numbering because my job was just sign it.
But one day I got bored and maybe high, who can remember, dahling, and I stamped a fresh box of Oldenberg Soft something or others we’d just done with the Warhol stamp.
The boss went, naturally and correctly, crazy and fired me. As a last gesture of decency I offered to have the box destroyed. "Heavens, no!" she nearly screamed."That’s an Oldenburg box signed dozens of times by Andy Warhol! It’s going to be worth millions some day."
As far as I know that box has not gone on the market yet. But I’ll bet she’s right.
4 comments:
Hilarious! Great story Peter! Did you ever meet Andy Warhol?
Nope. Met a lot of those people back then and have good stories about blowing a joint passed to me by Mr. Bob Marley himself--I was painting the then-new Carnegie Building offices of Island Records--and a few others, but Mr. Warhol I never met. I wanted to, and loved the opportunity to bring artist proofs to his 89-90th street Lexington Avenue NYC townhouse, but he never answered the door so it never happened.
Amazing. That's certainly a one-up on both Claes and Andy. Maybe the "other Peter Gorman" (the photographer/your old neighbor) has the prints somewhere.
;)
Andy Warhol, Signed by Claes Oldenburg, The Peter Gorman Editions, Bootlegged by the Other Peter Gorman (with nude Marilyns), endorsed by Carl Jung, exhibition theme song by Jimi Hendrix with guests Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley. Opening night gala with Dennis and Terence.
Exhibition runs year round.
Tea served at 8pm
ABSOLUTELY EXTRAORDINARY STORY!
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