One of Warhol's Superstars - Actor or Artist ?
Imagine a hip New York party. An open loft space, music playing, a film being shot and celebrities from film, music and the art world mingle. In the midst of this beautiful chaos you will find Louis Waldon next to Andy Warhol. Louis (who you will find in Andy's films) is pulling a silkscreen as Andy watches. The piece is "Electric Chair" one of the pieces in the Death and Disaster series.
The TATE Gallery describes "Electric Chair" in Silver:
In the centre of the canvas is depicted an unoccupied electric chair set in an empty room, and the chair bears a high-backed frame, as well as leather straps at its foot and longer straps and buckles at its sides. A cable running out from underneath the seat lies curled in front of the chair. Behind it, a small wooden table is shown against the back wall, and a barely visible sign that reads ‘Silence’ is positioned in the top right corner of the composition. The empty floor space in front of the chair is seemingly illuminated, being saturated with silver paint that fades to suggest dark and patchy shadows towards the edges of the canvas. The surface of the work is fairly uneven – the silver paint, which appears to have been applied over an under layer of bright green paint, has been absorbed into the canvas during the printing process, and the work has been lined with a second canvas. The lining adhesive has impregnated parts of the fabric of the canvas, creating a rippling effect.
Later Andy would sign and date this work on the verso.
The painting is part of the Death and Disaster series Andy began to work on in 1962. Warhol became more interested in death and explored other tragic events in his Race Riot and Ambulance Disaster series.
Famous or Infamous
Louis Waldon appeared in several controversial Warhol films, including The Nude Restaurant (1967), Lonesome Cowboys (1968), Flesh (1968), and Blue Movie (1969)
The Nude Restaurant (1967)
Lonesome Cowboys (1968)
Flesh (1968)
Blue Movie (1969)
Art or Opportunity
In 1979 while entertaining a friend, Waldon pulled out multiple screens (these would be the original screens Warhol inked to produce his silk-screen images.) One of the screens was the "Electric Chair" silkscreen. That was when his friend offered to pay him if he made him an Electric Chair piece. Waldon would go on to make his own art using the original silkscreens he acquired from Warhol and he’s been making them since.
“They look better. Andy didn’t really know what he was doing. You can’t tell the difference’.
- Louis Waldon
Waldon joined the Factory in the early ‘60s and really hasn’t left. He made a living reprising Warhol’s most famous and popular images, selling silk-screen portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Liz, Jackie O., Elvis and the Electric Chair.
On My Wall
“Electric Chair” in Red
by Louis Waldon
Silkscreen on Canvas
1998 Chamberlain Gallery
"Waldon’s story fascinated me, so I had to have one on my wall."
- Johnny Blanco
After working with Warhol, Waldon relocated to Europe for sometime, before moving back to California. He went on to appear in a number of more commercial films, including 1985 Cher blockbuster, "Mask". Louis lived on a houseboat in Marina Del Rey up until his death in 2013.
Louis Waldon, famous film star and artist
"Which Marilyn would you rather have–one with a “Louis Waldon Factory Superstar” stamp or one with a “Made in Japan” stamp? I’ll tell you one thing, if you could make any money on your own with Andy, he never said a word. He was totally helpful that way. If you wanna do something and you were going to make some money, he certainly wouldn’t stand in your way.” - Louis Waldon
Recent Louis Waldon Show at KANTOR GALLERY
Many former Superstars contend that Warhol did not compensate them adequately. Waldon found a way to profit from his association with Warhol by making and selling silk screens of Warhol’s classic images.
Andy said it best,
"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."
- Andy Warhol
*sources include Wikipedia, Kantor Gallery, Revolver Gallery and Google images. Please feel free to contact us to remove or update information.