Andy Warhol’s Small Pics of Big Shots

By Flavorwire Staff

Jan. 12, 2011

“My idea of a good picture is one that’s in focus and of a famous person,” declared Andy Warhol, the Pope of Pop. What could be easier than shooting quick-to-see Polaroid prints of celebrity pals that arrived daily on his “factory” doorstep? Andy’s also ironically remembered for stating, “Photographers feel guilty that all they do for a living is press a button,” which is exactly what he did for his instantaneous snapshots of Debbie Harry, Diana Ross, Yoko Ono, Dolly Parton, Schwarzenegger, and other boldface names currently assembled for Andy Warhol: Big Shot at New York’s Danziger Projects.

Of course, most of Warhol’s small-scale Polaroid pictures were never meant to be the end result of his creative act; they were source material, which would be blown-up and embellished in the artist’s eye-catching silkscreen canvases. But what were once artifacts can now be appreciated for what they are, picture of society big shots — folks that have accumulated more than their share of Andy’s notable “15 minutes of fame.”

Andy Warhol: Big Shots is on view at Danziger Projects through February 26.

Click through below for a gallery of images.