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Matt Wrbican

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Glenn O’Brien (1947–2017), Gone to the TV Party in Heaven

On April 7, 2017, Andy Warhol fans received the very sad, shocking news that yet another member of the rarefied circle had passed away. Most of Glenn O’Brien’s professional career…

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A black and white photograph of three men gathered in a room. The man on the left is in profile, a cowboy hat on his head. The man in the middle holds a portrait of a woman in his right hand and places the other on his him. The third man is seated, positioned halfway off the right hand edge of the image.

Fare thee well, Billy Name (1940–2016); We miss You.

Billy Name’s 47th birthday was remarkably sad, as it was on that very same day (Feb 22, 1987) that his old friend and mentor Andy Warhol passed away. In the…

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Recent Posts

Meeooaaww-AW-AWW

The following is an excerpt from Matt Wrbican’s essay “Meeooaaww-AW-AWW” about Andy Warhol, Ai Weiwei, and cats that appears in the exhibition catalogue Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei. The catalogue…

A black and white photograph of Andy Warhol holding a kitten in front of a window draped in white cloth.

A Modest Memoir of a Cultural Giant, David Bowie

David Bowie was a huge fan of Andy Warhol. About 20 years different in age, both men often transformed their physical appearance (Bowie more radically so than Warhol) and were…

A vinyl record sits against a gray background. On the paper in its center is David Bowie's signature in blue ink.

In Memoriam: Ellsworth Kelly (May 31, 1923–December 27, 2015), recalling a brief memory of Andy Warhol, which he shared with me

The recent passing of this great American artist calls to my mind a wonderful memory of him, and the fragment of a memory, which he generously shared with me. For…

Ultra Violet: Former Rebel, Among the Angels Now

  (Isabelle Collin Dufresne, September 6, 1935-June 14, 2014) A cultural figure who perhaps could only have existed in the 1960s, the actress and artist Ultra Violet achieved fame as…

In Memory of Leee Black Childers

The Warhol Museum commemorates the life and work of our friend, photographer Leee Black Childers, who passed away on April 6 at the age of 68. He was hospitalized after…

Four people sit on a stage with two tables and a three microphones.

Rest in Peace, Shirley

“I never wanted to be a painter; I wanted to be a tap-dancer.” Warhol’s oft-quoted statement is most likely a reference to the work of the child star he adored.…

Studio portrait of Shirley Temple with handwritten inscription: To Andrew Worhola from Shirley Temple.

The Rene Ricard Story Goes Dark

“Boulevardier,” poet, critic, and painter, Rene Ricard was a somewhat reclusive yet significant figure in the cultural worlds of New York City. Andy Warhol referred to him in 1984 as…

Artist Rene Ricard stands next to an art piece depicting a pig on its side.

Paul Warhola: First to Arrive, Last to Leave | June 26, 1922 – January 30, 2014

The Warhol mourns the passing of Andy Warhol’s last surviving brother, Paul Warhola. By birth, he was the first of the three Warhola brothers, each birth separated by three years:…

Brothers John, Andy, and Paul Warhola photographed near their home on Dawson Street in Pittsburgh, 1942.