Warhol TV

By Paul Schumacher

As the Walker book buyer for the last eight years, I routinely come across unusual titles. I thought it would be interesting to blog these notable discoveries as I see them. Typically, I’m attracted to quirky material and seek out books that just haven’t been conceived before. During some recent scouting around for new titles for the shop, I came across one such incomparable volume. Warhol TV is a magazine-like publication that documents the exhibition of the same name held last winter at La Maison Rouge in Paris. Even with the countless exhibition catalogues and books devoted to Andy Warhol—some of which home in on just his fashion drawings, portraits of Jews, or motion pictures—there hasn’t been a book, until now, on his role with television.

As the father of artistic and social promotion, Andy Warhol used every means of communication to self-promote his reality. Photography, film, magazine, and paintings were employed to document and showcase his surroundings and the creative social scene. Turns out that Warhol also wasn’t shy about tapping into television, which only seems natural given its mass appeal and accessibility. It was the ultimate contemporary tool, a perfect platform for exposing his reality. Andy Warhol utilized all avenues of the medium from as early as 1964, when he made an imitation Soap Opera, to his guest appearance on Love Boat, in 1985. He was also an early adopter with cable, creating a program back in 1979 on the newly formed New York Cable Network, and his MTV show in 1985, Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes.

Warhol TV focuses on the artist’s involvement with television and the beautiful talent who were a part of his world. Marc Jacobs, Tama Janowitz, Kenny Scharf, Glenn O’Brian, and Brigid Berlin are just a few who recall their encounters with Warhol and TV. The most interesting feature in the book, besides the rare images, is Warhol’s television filmography listing episodes with such guests as Debbie Harry, Courtney Love, Steven Spielberg, Moon Zappa, Cindy Sherman and Pee Wee Herman. I can only imagine Andy’s relaxed, subtle reaction to the energetic Pee Wee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V69IJ962Q4g

Purchase Warhol TV at the Walker Shop.

Back to the Garden: Tour de Farm, Rock the Garden, more

By Julie Caniglia

Woodstock nostalgia is so last week: Cool Hunting, the website whose name pretty much says it all, just posted a video report on June’s Rock the Garden music festival at the Walker. DJ Mary Lucia from The Current and the Walker’s performing arts curator Philip Bither weigh in on why 2009′s bands are so very “now” (no past tense, they do still matter, two months later!), and there’s also some chatting with the music-makers themselves — at least Solid Gold, Yeasayer, and Calexico. Decemberists fans will have to look elsewhere for a new fix of brilliance from Colin Meloy and co. (By the way, S olid Gold returns next week, for a whole different and not-your-Garden-variety show on the Walker’s greenspace.)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyHO5Qe102E[/youtube]

photo by Cameron Wittig

Young urban kitchen gardeners and other local food growers were the toast of Tour de Farm at the Walker on July 30 — the sole city stop on its sold-out summer ’09 tour celebrating Minnesota farmers and food artisans. Masterminded by The Corner Table’s Scott Pampuch (with inspiration from Jim Denevan and Outstanding in the Field), the communal dinner had 115 foodies swooning over creations made with local and regional ingredients by seven Twin Cities chefs Michelle Gayer (Salty Tart), Asher Miller (from the Walker’s own 20.21), Alex Roberts (Restaurant Alma, Brasa), Phillip Becht & Jim Grell (Modern Cafe), Mike Phillips (Craftsman Restaurant) and Zoe Francois (Artisanal Bread in 5 Minutes a Day).

At left is a shot from the dinner by Walker staff photographer Cameron Wittig; but you can read all the details in an exhaustive, three-part account replete with gorgeous photos from Kris Hase, examples of which are below. If images of homemade potato chips with creme fraiche or Star Prairie trout with duck-egg pasta don’t get you drooling, they’ll have you running to the farmer’s market. Pics not enough? There’s also an eight-minute video. Just make sure you get out from behind that monitor at some point and enjoy what’s left of a summer for which we’re already growing nostalgic.

photos above and at right by Kris Hase

photo by Kris Hase

Impressionable Youth

By Joseph Rizzo

I really enjoyed Walker photographer Gene Pittman’s recent post about his portrait of skateboard videographer Ty Evans. I immediately got excited when I saw that old school Powell Peralta ripper graphic, and I commented that the graphic was one of the images that got me interested in art. As a fiery young dork imprisoned in small town USA, I was riveted by the danger and recklessness that the image represented. As an added bonus, Ma absolutely HATED it. It got me thinking about other images that inspired my creative path in life. Here are some, in no particular order: