Gosh. That's the best possible way to start a post about Andy (and you'll discover why by reading all this stuff).
Pittsburgh is his native city, the place where he graduated in 1949 ( at the Carnegia Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design) and the place he left looking for something more.
"Almost Pittsburgh" is also the place where he is buried, in a very simple way. It is possible to see his grave here and leave there your telematic hommage.
This long weekend has definitely been the Andy Warhol one, by right. I started on Friday, visiting the Andy Warhol Museum. On Saturday I went to see the musical Pop! at the City Theatre (south side). [here the Facebook Page]. On Sunday I checked out some more information about him and his super-stars (Edie Sedgwick in primis: I also bought a book about her and her dinasty). On Monday, Memorial Day, I ride to Oakland to see Andy's house, located at 3252 Dawson Street.
Here I just want to share with you some pictures and my impressions about this experience.
(one of Andy's works as illustrator: Papageno serie).
the 6th floor is mainly dedicated to the videos, all deserving to spent the correct amount of time to enjoy them. Weird is the word, amazing is the comment, uncanny is the feeling. Sitting on fancy star poufs, you can see Andy's produtions and his team of "Incredibles".
Very interesting and equally peculiar the videos in the corridor and in the other room, projected on big screens, showing faces and bodies, doing nothing but looking at you.
As you go down, floor by floor, you encounter Andy's early works as illustrator, but also issues of Interview, other video, thousands of pictures about him young, very young or old. All mixed in a pre-ordered mess, very Andy style, that results to be perfectly readable anyway. You can definitely follow the story, even if the pieces are so numerous and apparently confusing.
(on the left: dog stuffed with straw)
The lowest floors are dedicated to his paintings and to the "sculptures" he built/made/arranged.
You cannot miss the balloon room, for children but also for adults.Because Andy knew that there is a children hidden in every adult: male, female or even confused. This is probably part of his secret: building toys for adults, working on (and activating) the most remote memory of our infancy.
When I look at his art, I can always recognize what I'm looking at. But the meaning is different, indeed, and the approach to that is -I think- first of all childish, and only after more "serious".
This lecture of Andy is due also by enjoying the musical Pop! The story is simple, there isn't a regul plot, but all a collection of memories about Andy's superstars. On the stage I could listen to Candy's, Edie's, Diva's, Valery's, Gerard's and Ondine's point of view about Andy. They are the main role's, actually, coz the story is set as if Andy is just a director of ready-made puppets. The musical emphatizes Andy's passivity, even if this is not exactly true. You cannot become "Andy Warhol" only saying gosh! gosh! gosh! every time one of the superstars is asking you money or a part in a B movie <but with a different letter>.
(this video refers to the world premiere in 2009,
with some differences, but same humor and songs)
But don't misunderstood me: the musical is great and probably is the right tribute to the "paper dolls" that -as Edie sings- just wanted to be dressed up by Andy (despite claiming later for the appreciation of their performances in the Factory). It's all a story about the psychologic slavery that the Superstars suffered from Andy, he being unable to stop or overlook on that. but this is the lecture that comes out from watching the musical, I could not consider this a "scientific" Andy's biography.
it's for sure a very interesting musical, little if compared to the Brodway's superproductions, but definitely complete and entertaining. Nice songs, great effort from every actor (except for Andy, but this is fault of the character, not of the actor). Great work on the similarity of the cast to the Superstars. Great fun hearing Candy's talking and singing as a woman, but played by a terrific Brian Charles Rooney. He did great, considering that he had to play and sing as a woman, but at times also as a woman that mocks and apes at others. Great interpretation, very high quality. Congrats!
The last piece of the story (talking about my Andy's weekend) is the ride toward his house. I arrived there in the morning, with the only intention to see that and take some pictures. The house is now private, I suppose, not abandoned but for sure closed, when I was there. The sun was exactly behind that, so I couldn't take great pictures but for the followings.
And that's all, I suppose. Or, as Andy sings in the last song ("Andy's philosophy"), that's NOTHING.
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