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Andy Warhol Photo Exhibit


A good picture, Andy Warhol once declared, was one that was "in focus and of a famous person." And Warhol contributed more than his share of such images to the world.

The modern-art icon, who snapped thousands of Polaroids and black-and-white gelatin prints over a decade of social stargazing, made his mark on American culture by creating works that transformed images, faces and transitory moments into slick little packages of pop. Many of these works began with a photograph of a celebrity or socialite—a photo that Warhol, with his camera ever in tow, often took himself.

Forty-five of Warhol’s Polaroids, recently gifted to Dickinson by the Andy Warhol Foundation, are currently on display at The Trout Gallery.

The exhibit, Photographs by Warhol, includes shots of prominent figures such as Sylvester Stallone, Barbara Allen and Martha Graham, as well as Screen Tests, a loop of silent-film portraits Warhol created as audition pieces for his art films. Shot in Warhol’s Factory between 1964 and ’66, the black-and-white film footage includes brief, silent portraits of Salvador Dali, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, Ted Berrigan and Nico, among others [story continues below].


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  • Neil Printz, shown above, is co-editor of the Andy Warhol Foundation’s Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné.
    Neil Printz
  • For his paintings and prints, Warhol sometimes used found pictures as source material. Above, Printz discusses Warhol's use of found photobooth strips.
    Printz's Prints
  • An exhibit of Andy Warhol's photographs, Photographs by Warhol, opened at The Trout Gallery with a March 3 reception.
    Photographs by Warhol
  • Photographs by Andy Warhol, arranged in clusters, invite close inspection.
    Post-Pop?
  • Visitors take a photo of a photo exhibit. Warhol would be proud.
    Photos Squared
  • Andy Warhol, who often used photos as source materials for his work, was known to carry a camera with him on jaunts around town. Above, a gallery visitor takes a look at Warhol's beloved Big Shot Polaroid camera, which he is believed to have purchased in 1970.
    Celebrated Photography
  • Andy Warhol's photos inspire a lighthearted response. Born Andrew Warhola in a working-class neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Warhol, who grew to be an icon in his own right, was enchanted with celebrities and once joked that he was "a deeply superficial person." He also coined the term "15 minutes of fame" when he said, "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes."
    Fun with Pop
  • Andy Warhol took many photos while hobnobbing with celebrities at A-list clubs and parties, and was often commissioned to snap celebrity portraits. When asked if he enjoyed the jet-set lifestyle, he quipped, "I have to go out every night. If I stay home one night I start spreading rumors to my dogs."
    Jet-Set Life
Neil Printz, shown above, is co-editor of the Andy Warhol Foundation’s Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné. Prev ImageNext Image

Photographs by Warhol opened March 3 with a reception and speech by art historian Neil Printz. Printz, who curated the show, is a past member of the board of directors for the Andy Warhol Authentication Board and co-editor of the Andy Warhol Foundation’s multivolume catalog of all 12,000 of Warhol’s works, The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné.

In his speech Printz spoke about Warhol’s impact on the art scene of the 1960s and 70s. He also discussed Warhol’s use of photographs, both as pieces in and of themselves and as materials for other works.

Story by MaryAlice Bitts
Photos by A. Pierce Bounds '71