So here's my piece and here's to Andy Warhol!
Walking into the Wellington Town Hall with band equipment and a projector screen at the front certainly sets a different atmosphere. The audience were absolutely wired, and apparently it was contagious as everyone took their seats in anticipation. This was to redefine what we knew of Marilyn artist Andy Warhol.
Amazing in its originality, Dean and Britta set the scene in style playing somewhat of an electronica theme song for Richard Rheem as the screen test of him- the former boyfriend of Andy Warhol- played behind the untouched instruments. The musicians, unnoticed, only arrived as Richard’s time came to an end, and from then on they treated the stage with the utmost confidence of ownership. They know their creation is quite the spectacle, and as it was unlike anything most of the very mixed audience had ever experienced before it was totally transfixing.
The music throughout fitted naturally and instinctively with these intimate portraits of the individuals in Warhol’s life, evoking strong emotional response throughout as you felt somewhat of a connection forming between you and the Beauties with their demonstrations of pure, unrehearsed and spontaneous emotions. You pitied Dennis Hopper’s frown. You laughed at Ingrid Superstar’s perfected but insecure posing. Dean and Britta carried you through each of them by briefly outlining each Beauty’s life and their connections with Warhol. Mostly they were sad stories, and a thought-provoking commentary of the effect of fame upon the humanity of individuals.
What you could easily pass off as black and white experiments by an artist well-known in the film industry for his Avant-Garde work, were colourised and brightened by the heartfelt performance of two incredibly talented and creative interpretive musicians. You couldn’t help but be transfixed by the depth of this show. It was a stunner.
Amazing in its originality, Dean and Britta set the scene in style playing somewhat of an electronica theme song for Richard Rheem as the screen test of him- the former boyfriend of Andy Warhol- played behind the untouched instruments. The musicians, unnoticed, only arrived as Richard’s time came to an end, and from then on they treated the stage with the utmost confidence of ownership. They know their creation is quite the spectacle, and as it was unlike anything most of the very mixed audience had ever experienced before it was totally transfixing.
The music throughout fitted naturally and instinctively with these intimate portraits of the individuals in Warhol’s life, evoking strong emotional response throughout as you felt somewhat of a connection forming between you and the Beauties with their demonstrations of pure, unrehearsed and spontaneous emotions. You pitied Dennis Hopper’s frown. You laughed at Ingrid Superstar’s perfected but insecure posing. Dean and Britta carried you through each of them by briefly outlining each Beauty’s life and their connections with Warhol. Mostly they were sad stories, and a thought-provoking commentary of the effect of fame upon the humanity of individuals.
What you could easily pass off as black and white experiments by an artist well-known in the film industry for his Avant-Garde work, were colourised and brightened by the heartfelt performance of two incredibly talented and creative interpretive musicians. You couldn’t help but be transfixed by the depth of this show. It was a stunner.
But yeah, basically Andy Warhol is amazing. I know that way too many people like him and I just sound boring and typical but really, he had something!
Love
xx
