On the evening of May 3rd there was an opening of a “pop-up” exhibition of lost Warhol portraits by Steve Wood. I happened to find out about this because I live right across from the building where it took place. And of course, I had to check out what was going on!
The British photographer Steve Wood was in Deauville, France in September 1981 on assignment for the Daily Express of London, to shoot the movie stars who were attending the American Film Festival. He ran into his friend Elaine Kaufman, owner of the famous restaurant Elaine’s in Manhattan, who introduced him to Andy Warhol. She encouraged him to take some photos of the artist, who according to Wood “saw himself lost at a film festival, there was no interest in him”.
Indeed, the pictures were never published and disappeared into the photographer’s files until he found them again in 2012. Now they’ve popped up at the “Lost Then Found” exhibition where they are shown for the first time. The portraits speak of an altogether different Andy than most people would know or remember. Besides holding the one sunflower prop, he seems to bare a vulnerable, delicate person, a self, a soul he mostly hid behind dark glasses during his lifetime. It’s as if now, after all these years, we finally get to know him better.
Erika Koning
Lost Then Found
An Exhibition of lost Andy Warhol Portraits by Steve Wood
May 3rd – May 12th 2013.
345 meatpacking, West 14th St
New York City
Open Daily 11am – 7pm
info:[email protected]
