UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 1, Page 7
September 5, 1996
Discussion and exhibit; 'Artists of the Warhol Circle' to open Sept. 7

     The artistic achievements of six of Andy Warhol's associates will
be featured when the University Gallery presents the exhibition "Out
of the Shadow: Artists of the Warhol Circle, Then and Now," from Sept.
7-Oct. 30. The six artists also will reunite-some for the first time
since their Factory days-for a free public panel discussion on the
campus.
     Throughout his career, Warhol relied on the collaborative support
of creative people in the visual, literary and performing arts to
provide him with ideas and assistance in his artwork and his movies.
These people helped to create the intriguing atmosphere of Warhol's
studio in New York City, known simply as the Factory. Pop icons who
became household names in the 1960s, these surviving members of the
Factory are sometimes overlooked today, and their accomplishments
remain hidden.
     The exhibition will feature the work of Gerard Malanga, Billy
Name, Ultra Violet, Allen Midgette and Christopher Makos, who together
symbolize the work and atmosphere of Warhol's 47th Street studio (the
Silver Factory) in the mid-1960s to Warhol's move to Union Square in
1968 and to his final move to 33rd Street. Also included are works by
James Warhola, Warhol's nephew, who carries on the artistic tradition
in the Warhola family.
     The six artists will participate in a discussion on "Community,
Rejection and New Directions in the Warhol Circle" from 2-5 p.m.,
Saturday, Sept. 7, in the Theatre at the Trabant University Center.
Moderating the discussion will be Debra Miller, art history and MALS,
who is guest curator for the exhibit. After the discussion, an opening
reception will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the University Gallery.
Both events are free and open to the public.
     The exhibit represents each artist with a mini-retrospective of
approximately 10 works, surveying the varied media and phases of each
one's career.


The Artists
     Christopher Makos served as a contributing photographer to
Warhol's Interview magazine and was a close friend. He is the author
of two books, White Trash and Warhol: A Personal Photographic Memoir.
Currently, he maintains an active photography studio in Manhattan and
hosts a New York TV interview show, Makostyle. He exhibits his
photographs, prints and paintings throughout the United States and
Europe.
     Gerard Malanga has enjoyed international acclaim through
simultaneous careers as a poet, photographer, filmmaker, curator and
archivist. He starred in many Warhol productions and co-founded
Interview magazine with him. A major influence on the art and films
created in Warhol's Factory, Malanga introduced Warhol to many of his
most noteworthy collaborators, including artist/filmmaker Paul
Morrissey, the Velvet Underground and superstars Nico and
International Velvet. The author of 23 books and numerous articles,
Malanga has exhibited his photographs and films throughout the world.
     Allen Midgette also was a featured player in Warhol films,
including The Nude Restaurant and Lonesome Cowboys.
     His most remarkable performance was his impersonation of Warhol
on the college lecture circuit, a prank devised by Warhol and
Morrissey that remained undiscovered for nearly six months. Today, he
continues to act in off-Broadway productions and films. He recently
began to produce wearable art, paintings and mixed-media assemblages
related to his Cherokee heritage.
     Billy Name acted as Warhol's in-house photographer, lighting and
set designer, book designer and editor and star of a few of Warhol's
films, including Haircut, Couch and Lupe. He remains active as a
photographer, concrete poet and conceptual sculptor. His photography
has appeared in virtually all publications devoted to Warhol and has
been exhibited in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa.
     Ultra Violet became one of Warhol's most visible stars and has
appeared in several other films, including John Schlesinger's Midnight
Cowboy, Norman Mailer's Maid Stone and Milos Forman's Taking Off. Her
best-selling autobiography Famous for 15 Minutes: My Years with Andy
Warhol has been published in more than a dozen languages. Her mixed-
media works have been exhibited in more than 60 venues worldwide.
     Artist and illustrator James Warhola has worked as a book
illustrator for several major publishing houses and has designed more
than 300 science fiction and fantasy covers. Recently, he has
concentrated on illustrating children's books, including his latest
releases: illustrated versions of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs The
Surrey with the Fringe on Top and My Favorite Things.


The Curator
     Curator Debra Miller, associate professor in the Master of Arts
in Liberal Studies Program, is the guest curator for the exhibit.
Since 1990, she has served as curator to Billy Name, Andy Warhol's
Factory photographer, and as manager to Ultra Violet, Warhol star and
artist. Her book Billy Name: Stills from the Warhol Films was
published in 1994. She currently teaches Renaissance, Baroque and Pop
Art at the University and has offered adjunct courses at Bryn Mawr
College and Rutgers University, Camden.


     Support for this exhibition comes from numerous sources,
including the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency devoted to
promoting the visual arts in the state, and, at the University, the
Cultural Activities and Public Events Committee of the Faculty Senate,
the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program and the departments of
Art and Art History.
     The University Gallery, located on the second floor of Old
College, is open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, and 1-
5 p.m., weekends. The exhibition is free and open to the public and is
wheelchair accessible.
     For information, call 831-8242, fax 831-4330 or TDD 831-4552.
                                                          -Gerry Elter