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A Day in the Life of Andy Warhol

Stephen Smith meets Andy Warhol's friends and confidantes to get closer to the man behind the enigmatic public image, experiencing a day in the life of the pop art superstar.

Andy Warhol created some of the most instantly recognisable art of the 20th century. But perhaps his greatest work of art was himself - the cool, enigmatic pop art superstar.

In this film, Stephen Smith sets out to discover the real Andy Warhol - in the hour-by-hour detail of his daily life.

Taking a playful approach, mixing archive and entertaining encounters with Warhol's closest friends and confidantes, Stephen pieces together a typical day in the mid 1960s.

By 1964, Warhol had established himself as a famous pop artist and his creative ambitions were exploding in new directions in a creative frenzy of art, films - and even music.

From an early-hours chat with John Giorno, Warhol's lover and star of his notorious film Sleep, to recreating Warhol's intimate telephone conversations with Factory superstar Brigid Berlin, Stephen immerses himself in the round-the-clock whirl of Warhol's daily life.

Visiting the church where Warhol worshipped with his mother, discussing the day-to-day running of the Factory with Warhol's assistant Gerard Malanga, talking to Bibbe Hansen and Jane Holzer, stars of his famous Screen Tests, the film offers a fresh and illuminating new portrait of Warhol.

And from the obsessive desire to document his everyday life to the endless fascination with fame and his own celebrity image, a day with Andy Warhol appears surprisingly familiar to 21st century eyes.

"In his lifetime", concludes Stephen, "some people thought Warhol came from another planet. But in fact he hailed from somewhere equally exotic - the future.".

1 hour

Last on

Wed 1 Apr 2020 00:30
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four

  • Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music celebrates the Pop Art season with a playlist of tracks from the programmes.

Clips

See all clips from A Day in the Life of Andy Warhol (4)

Music Played

  • Maria Callas

    Una Voce Poco Fa

    • Parlophone Records Limited.

  • The Velvet Underground

    All Tomorrow's Parties

    • Polydor Limited.

  • The Miracles

    Going To A Go-Go

    • Universal-Island Records Limited.

  • The Dave Clark Five

    I Knew It All The Time

    • Jasmine Records.

  • Maria Callas

    Bel Raggio Lusinghier

  • Terry Devine-King

    Losing You

    • Audio Network.

  • The Velvet Underground

    I'm Waiting For The Man

    • Polydor Limited.

  • The Temptations

    Papa Was A Rollin Stone

    • Universal-Island Records Limited.

  • Miles Davis

    All Blues

    • Cherry Red Records Limited.

  • Frank Wilson

    My Sugar Baby

    • Universal Music (UK) Limited.

  • The Supremes

    Baby Love

    • Pickwick Group Ltd.

  • The Dave Clark Five

    Chaquita

    • Dave Clark London.

  • The Temptations

    Beauty Is Only Skin Deep

    • Universal-Island Records Limited.

  • Diana Ross

    Aint No Mountain High Enough

    • Universal-Island Records Limited.

  • Booker T. & The M.G.'s

    I Got A Woman

    • Warner Music UK Limited.

  • Booker T. & The M.G.'s

    Lonely Avenue

    • Warner Music UK Limited.

  • The Supremes

    Run, Run, Run

    • Universal-Island Records Limited.

  • The Velvet Underground

    I'll Be Your Mirror

    • Polydor Limited.

Credits

Presenter Stephen Smith
Producer David Shulman
Director David Shulman
Executive Producer Richard Bright
Unit Manager Lisa Phelan

Broadcasts

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Sun Kings

Stephen Smith compares the courts of Warhol and the original Sun King, Louis XIV.

Superstars & Silver

Billy Name's iconic black and white images of The Factory, 1964-70.

When Everyone Could Own a Warhol

Cover Star: Andy Warhol's 1950s album covers for hip jazz labels such as Blue Note.

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