Love. Desire. Intimacy. Warhol.
“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”― Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol is definitely up there when talking about most influential artists of the 20th Century. If he had just produced the first Velvet Underground record, that would have been enough for me. But of course, Warhol’s career was so much more than just that. Warhol as an artist challenged the way we thought about brand, about consumerism, about modern ways of storytelling. He played with every facet of media, every method of cultural influence in order to rip us, the consumer, out of our comfort zone and develop new appreciations of our modern way of defining ourselves and the world around us…and for the most part, he did it with a playfulness that allowed for interactivity and curiosity. Warhol used his fame and influence to support the newer artists as they started their careers…creating a space at his Factory and beyond for many voices to co-exist and grow…even if at all times framed by Warhol’s owned vision.
And while always in public…always with attention on his art and actions, he remained a mystery. What was Warhol really like? And what REALLY drove him? Who was Andy Warhol?
Starting tonight, there is a six-part documentary series on Andy Warhol, called The Andy Warhol Diaries, on Netflix (trailer here) where through his most personal narratives—from his diaries—the unknown Warhol is explored. My friend Stacey Reiss is Co-Executive Producer of the series (she also produced the Spaceship Earth documentary about the Biosphere 2 project and the horror flick The Perfection). She was open to me asking some questions about the series to prime the pump for opening night, tonight on a TV near you…
David Katznelson: Have you been wanting to do a project on Andy Warhol for a while? How did you first get involved in this project?
Stacey Reiss: For years, I was researching and developing ideas for projects about art - it’s a world I am captivated by and I was trying to find a “way in.” When Andrew Rossi (writer, director and Executive Producer) approached me about a series about an artist he was working on getting made for 10 years, I was intrigued. When he pitched me The Andy Warhol Diaries — I immediately said yes! I feel incredibly lucky Andrew asked me to come on board the series as Co-Executive Producer and show-runner.
DK: The project is billed with the tag: The art you know, the artist you didn’t know. Is there one discovery you had during the project that was completely unexpected? Something that completely changed your view on the artist?
SR: Oh yes, I experienced so many discoveries while making this project. I knew Andy’s work as an artist - his famous soup cans, the celebrity portraits, the death and disaster series. And of course, he was a multimedia “platform” before anyone called it that - with Interview magazine, his shows on MTV, his groundbreaking films - he worked in so many different mediums. What I didn’t know much about Andy was his private life - he was always described as an “asexual robot,” yet his work is so full of emotion. The series is about love — and in making it I learned who Andy had relationships with, who he photographed more than anyone in his collection, who he obsessed over and who fell in love with. Many of these discoveries are being revealed for the first time in our show in interviews, exclusive archival films and photos. And once it’s revealed, it becomes clear how much intimacy lives in the work.
DK: There is a lot being written about how you used modern technology to simulate Warhol’s voice. Was that something you planned on doing from the start of the production? What was it like hearing this voice for the first time?
SR: From the very beginning of the project, Andrew wanted to use AI technology to enable Andy to narrate his diaries in his own voice. During the two years producing the series, the technology continued to evolve and improve. The first time I heard the sample voice, I didn’t think it was legible enough. We worked with incredible partners at Resemble AI and our sound recording studio Red Hook Post to continue to refine and improve the sound. We were also fortunate to work with the actor Bill Irwin to help bring a human quality and timbre to the recording. What is important to keep in mind are the ethical ramifications of using a deceased famous person’s voice. We had the blessing of the Andy Warhol Foundation to use AI. And the voice is recording Andy’s own words. His diary was published posthumously so these are Andy’s words in Andy’s voice.
DK: Warhol’s published diary was over 800 pages. While the series gives a great, in depth look into his thoughts, there is no way it could have covered anything. Were there any major decisions you had to make as far as the focus you were going to give when telling the story?
SR: The diaries were originally started as a way to keep a record of Andy Warhol’s expenses for a tax audit. Every morning at 9am, Andy would call his diarist Pat Hackett and tell her about his evening - anything from the cost of a cab ride to a debaucherous evening at Studio 54. When the book first came out, many readers focused on the bold faced names in the diaries - who was included, what did Andy think of so and so, the dishy stuff. But if you look deeper in the work, there’s a beautiful deeper story - one that had never been revealed in this way before - and that’s what the focus of the series is. Love. Desire. Intimacy.
DK: Warhol’s idea of commercialism and branding seems almost more prevalent now than it did when he was an active artist. Was there a motive behind telling his story in this way now?
SR: Tik Tok, Instagram, NFTs - this constantly changing digital world of art and commerce that we live in feels very Warholian. We asked some of his friends and collaborators what Andy would have thought of social media - and most of them thought he would love it. After all he famously said — “In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.” That couldn’t be more true today. Even though Andy died 35 years ago, his work and point of view feels as fresh as ever and there’s a younger audience who may not know who Andy Warhol is if that’s even possible.
DK: It seems like Warhol influenced everyone he came in contact with, one way or another. By focusing so closely on him while producing this project, how has your art changed?
SR: One of my favorite Warhol quotes is - “Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”
I think it’s essential as a producer to stay true to what stories you want to tell, what inspires you and motivates you and not listen to any outside voices. These projects take two years and often longer to produce. Before I take on a new project, I always think - do I want to obsess about this subject for years of my life… do I want to dream about it at night…is there a reason to tell this story now? Even after a deep exploration of Andy Warhol, I think there’s still more to learn.
There’s a fantastic show at the Brooklyn Museum right now (we filmed it for the series) and one of my favorite pieces is hanging there — it’s a screen print that says “Heaven and Hell are just one breath away!” I thought about this quote a lot making a 6 part series during a global pandemic. Nothing was easy any step of the way, but when I watch the finished series, I feel very satisfied and proud of the accomplishment. It was worth the massive amount of work bringing this story to life and a huge team of people worked on it - our own version of the Factory. And Andy inspired all of us every day.
***You can see The Andy Warhol Diaries on Netflix starting tonight***
