Warhol superstars were a

clique A clique ( AusE, CanE, or ), in the social sciences, is a group of individuals who interact with one another and share similar interests. Interacting with cliques is part of normative social development regardless of gender, ethnicity, or popula ...

of New York City personalities promoted by the pop artist

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

during the 1960s and early 1970s. These personalities appeared in Warhol's artworks and accompanied him in his social life, epitomizing his famous dictum, " In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes". Warhol would simply film them, and declare them "superstars".

History

The first recognised superstar was Baby Jane Holzer, whom Warhol featured in many of his early film experiments. The superstars would help Warhol generate publicity while Warhol offered fame and attention in return. Warhol's philosophies of art and celebrity met in a way that imitated the Hollywood studio system at its height in the 1930s and 1940s. Among the best-known of Warhol's superstars was

Edie Sedgwick Edith Minturn Sedgwick Post (April 20, 1943 – November 16, 1971) was an American actress and fashion model, known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars.Watson, Steven (2003), "Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties" Pantheon Books, pp. 210& ...

. She and Warhol became very close during 1965 but their relationship ended abruptly early in the next year. Warhol would continue to associate himself with people including Viva, Candy Darling,

Ultra Violet Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation ...

, Nico and International Velvet. Warhol's studio,

The Factory The Factory was Andy Warhol's studio in New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famed for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities and Warhol's supersta ...

, played host to most of his superstars and as his experiments in film continued he became more interested in the bohemian eccentrics attracted to the studio. Some of the most important superstars to emerge from the period of the first Factory (known as the 'Silver Factory' because silver foil had been applied to the walls and ceilings) include Paul America, Ondine, Taylor Mead, Rolando Peña,

Mary Woronov Mary Woronov (born December 8, 1943) is an American actress, published author and figurative painter. She is primarily known as a " cult star" because of her work with Andy Warhol and her roles in Roger Corman's cult films. Woronov has appeared ...

, Eric Emerson, Gerard Malanga, Billy Name, Brigid Berlin and Sappheo. In the later films, made in collaboration with Paul Morrissey, Warhol brought in new superstars including Joe Dallesandro,

Penny Arcade ''Penny Arcade'' is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website ''loonygames.com''. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have estab ...

, Andrea Feldman, Jane Forth, Geraldine Smith, and Sylvia Miles. During this period Warhol developed an increasing fascination with

trans women A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may Gender transitioning, transition; this process commonly includes Feminizing horm ...

and

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...

s, and promoted Candy Darling, Holly Woodlawn and Jackie Curtis to superstar status. Many of the superstars were celebrated in

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

's song Walk on the Wild Side. Warhol significantly reduced his public accessibility after being shot by Valerie Solanas in 1968. The age of the Warhol superstar soon faded.

Films

The 1966 film ''

Chelsea Girls ''Chelsea Girls'' is a 1966 American experimental underground film directed by Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey. The film was Warhol's first major commercial success after a long line of avant-garde art films (both feature-length and short). I ...

'', about life amongst the superstars at Hotel Chelsea, was notable for finding success beyond New York City underground arthouse scene. The later Warhol/Morrissey collaborations ''

Flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, but ...

'', '' Trash'', ''

Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...

'', and '' Women in Revolt'' are more frequently screened.

List of Warhol superstars

* Allen Midgette * Andrea Feldman *

Benedetta Barzini Benedetta Barzini (born 22 September 1943 in Porto Santo Stefano)BENEDETTA BARZINI
VOGUE ...

* Bibbe Hansen (mother of musician Beck) * Billy Name * Brigid Berlin * Candy Darling * Cherry Vanilla *

Chuck Wein Chuck Wein (March 24, 1939March 18, 2008) was an American promoter and manager of entertainment acts whose celebrity stemmed from his five-year (1964–1969) association with Andy Warhol and from his discovery of Edie Sedgwick who becam ...

* Cyrinda Foxe *

Ed Hood Ed, ed or ED may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ed'' (film), a 1996 film starring Matt LeBlanc * Ed (''Fullmetal Alchemist'') or Edward Elric, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' media * ''Ed'' (TV series), a TV series that ran fro ...

(actor in Warhol's

My Hustler ''My Hustler'' is a 1965 American film by Andy Warhol, and Paul Morrissey. The film is propelled by the sonorous, magnetic acting of 30-year-old Ed Hood interacting with the blonde Hustler, Paul America. Joe Campbell ("Sugar Plum Fairy"), Gene ...

) *

* Elecktrah Lobel (actress who starred in ''

Kitchen A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water ...

'' and '' The Life of Juanita Castro'') * Eric Emerson * Fred Herko * Gerard Malanga * Holly Woodlawn *

Ingrid Superstar Warhol superstars were a clique of New York City personalities promoted by the pop artist Andy Warhol during the 1960s and early 1970s. These personalities appeared in Warhol's artworks and accompanied him in his social life, epitomizing his fa ...

* Isabelle Collin Dufresne (Ultra Violet) *

Ivy Nicholson Ivy Nicholson (February 22, 1933 – October 25, 2021) was an American model and actress. Early life Nicholson grew up in Cypress Hills, New York. ''World'' magazine reported that she was "born to a humble working-class family". She started ...

('' Batman Dracula'', ''

Couch A couch, also known as a sofa, settee, or chesterfield, is a cushioned item of furniture for seating multiple people (although it is not uncommon for a single person to use a couch alone). It is commonly found in the form of a bench with u ...

'', '' Four Stars'', '' I, a Man'', John and Ivy, ) * Jack Smith * Jackie Curtis * Jane Forth * Jane Holzer * Jayne County * Joe Campbell * Joe Dallesandro * Louis Waldon ('' The Nude Restaurant'', '' Lonesome Cowboys'', '' San Diego Surf'', ''

'', ''

Blue Movie ''Blue Movie'' (also known as ''Fuck'') is a 1969 American erotic film written, produced and directed by Andy Warhol. It is the first adult erotic film depicting explicit sex to receive wide theatrical release in the United States, and is ...

'') * Mario Montez ('' Batman Dracula''; '' Camp''; '' The Chelsea Girls''; '' Harlot''; Hedy, Mario Banana; '' More Milk, Yvette'') *

* Naomi Levine * Nico * Ondine * Pat Ast * Paul America *

Richard Bernstein Richard Bernstein may refer to: *Richard Bernstein (journalist) (born 1944), American columnist for the ''New York Times'' *Richard B. Bernstein (born 1956), American constitutional historian and CCNY lecturer in law and political science * Richard ...

(artist who did the covers of ''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

'' for 15 years)

* Rolando Peña (also known as El Principe Negro / The Black Prince) * Ruby Lynn Reyner *

Sally Kirkland Sally Kirkland (born October 31, 1941) is an American film, television and stage actress and producer. A former member of Andy Warhol's The Factory and an active member in 1960s New York avant-garde theater, she has appeared in more than 250 fi ...

* Susan Bottomly (later known as International Velvet) * Taylor Mead * Viva

References

External links

Warholstars
Andy Warhol Films, Art and Superstars {{Warhol American artist groups and collectives