For an artist whose career and practice were constantly evolving, 1963 stands out as a significant year for Andy Warhol.
Warhol closed out 1962 with a successful showing of his recent Pop works at the Stable Gallery in New York. The show helped further establish his voice as a Pop Artist and saw him gain more traction in the fine art world. In early 1963, Warhol was preparing a new set of works for an upcoming fall show in Los Angeles and starting to explore New York’s underground film scene. In his personal life, a romance is budding with stockbroker-turned-poet John Giorno. Together, the couple frequently attended film screenings and took several trips to Old Lyme, Connecticut. While in Old Lyme, Warhol also began experimenting with making films; he shot a half-dozen rolls of film, opening a new avenue of expression that led to his first major film project, Sleep, later that year.
Andy Old Lyme, Etc., the inaugural issue of Warhol’s Index examines Warhol’s life during the first half of 1963. In the issue, Blake Gopnik writes about Warhol’s entry into the New York fine art world, how it is reflected in his home movies, and how that footage fits in with Warhol’s Pop Art paintings. Julia Curl’s essay discusses the film community that Warhol was gaining a foothold in, and how his relationship with Giorno led to his radical film Sleep. Finally, Grace Marston places Warhol’s trips to Old Lyme in the broader context of his career, elaborating on the significance of his film experiments and the people he vacationed with.