Early in the fall of 1963, Warhol set out on his first trip to Los Angeles to open a new show at the Ferus Gallery, which was becoming one of the West Coast homes of Pop Art.
On the trip, Warhol was accompanied by his studio assistant, Gerard Malanga, bohemian Wynn Chamberlain, and the free-spirited actor and misfit Taylor Mead. The group sped across the country, soaking up the prevalent billboards, neon, and imagery that Warhol and his artist contemporaries had been infusing into their Pop Art works.
In L.A., actors Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward welcome the group with a star-studded party at their Pop Art-festooned house. The group also attends art openings, including one for Claes Oldenburg and one for Warhol’s hero, Marcel Duchamp. Warhol takes the time to further his filmmaking practice by shooting his first narrative film, Tarzan and Jane Regained… Sort of, which stars the wiry Mead as the unlikely titular character.
Andy at the Ferus chronicles Warhol’s travels and activities during the artist’s trip through the quintessentially Pop landscape of Los Angeles. Mark Rozzo discusses Pop Art in Los Angeles and the community of artists and galleries that were developing there. Grace Marston recounts Warhol’s developing film experiments, which document his trip over a half-dozen reels of “home movies.” Finally, Bruce Jenkins profiles the impish Taylor Mead and discusses the actor’s contributions to Tarzan and Jane Regained… Sort of.