John Giorno first met Andy Warhol in 1962, at the opening of Warhol’s first solo exhibition at the Stable Gallery. They had an immediate connection and soon became lovers, immersed in the vibrant energy of the New York avant-garde scene of that era. As Giorno writes in his memoir, “That year, Jonas Mekas coined the term and invented the phenomenon called ‘underground cinema.’ He pulled together a generation of young filmmakers… [and] rented small, run-down theaters around the city that happened to be empty for the night. Through word of mouth, everyone came. Andy and I went to the movies once, twice, or three times a week, every week for a year.” Warhol himself was the subject of many of Mekas’ film diaries from 1965-82, which led to the creation of Mekas’ star-studded compilation film Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol. Around this same time, Andrew Meyer filmed Match Girl in collaboration with Warhol; it depicts the “fantasy experiences of an aspiring young actress done in color and with dandy musical accompaniment by the Rolling Stones.” – Bosley Crowther, The New York Times
Program:
Andrew Meyer, Match Girl, 1966 (digital, 26 minutes)
Jonas Mekas, Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol, shot from 1966-1982 (digital, 36 minutes)
Program curated by Julia Curl.