Thank You Andy Warhol

Description

The 'Thank You Andy Warhol' project began one morning in January, 2011, when author Catherine Johnson realised she was in the middle of the economic depression that was crippling her creative community and felt herself 'frozen.' She wondered, 'What would Andy do?' and realised he would adapt the way he had time and again during his lifetime. His work and ethos had always inspired her and she was sure it had had the same effect on others, and decided to pose the question of what influence his life and work had had to more than 80 of his friends, friends of friends, and those who had been touched by his life and work. Just some of the luminaries interviewed here include, Frances Grill, Ivan Karp, Billy Name, Brigid Berlin, Danny Fields, Ken Heyman, Bibbe Hansen, George Lois, Gretchen Berg, Vincent Freemont, Bob Colacello, Sylvia Miles, Christopher Makos, Liza Minnelli, Patrick McDonald, Kenny Scharf, Vik Muniz, Simon Doonan, Ryan McGinness, Eric Shiner, and Jamie Warhola. What started as a single inquiry has resulted in the only truly personal biography of one of the greatest artists of our time.

New Yorker Catherine Johnson was born in South Carolina and moved to New York City in the 1980s, where she continues to work as a freelance art producer and book editor. She began her career in photography representing the British photographer Norman Parkinson in North America. Published books, for which she has been an editor and/or creative consultant, include: 'Stieglitz and Photo-Secession: 1902' (Studio Books/2002); 'The Luminous Years: Portraits at Mid-Century by Karl Bissinger'(Abrams/2003); and 'Paris: 1962' (Rizzoli/2008). She is the author of 'Dogs' (Phaidon/2007), her collection of vernacular vintage photographs on the subject. Her advertising clients have included Nike, Bermuda Tourism, and Ralph Lauren, and she has served as the Chair of Photography Committee and on the Board of Governors at the National Arts Club in New York City from 2006 - 2009.