These are not the silkscreen icons; they are the raw feedstock, shot on the Big Shot and SX-70 that Warhol carried everywhere and used to treat his own life as raw material. The album format matters, because it shows him archiving compulsively long before anyone called it a feed. If you want Warhol at his least monumental and most gossipy, this small seventh-floor room is it.
What to expect
A compact single-gallery hang of small-format Polaroids, which means close looking at 3-by-4-inch prints rather than sweeping wall works. Ethel Scull 36 Times hangs nearby in the installation, connecting the snapshots to the commissioned portraits they fed. It is a twenty-minute stop that pairs well with whatever else is on that day.
Good to know
- A/C/E or L to 14th St, then west to Gansevoort Street
- It is on Floor 7, so ride up and work your way down through the building
- Small Polaroids reward patience; skip peak weekend afternoons if you can
- A short stop, so pair it with another floor rather than making the trip for it alone
- Whitney Descriptions Online tours have accompanied this show for blind and low-vision visitors
- Good for Warhol fans who want the offhand material rather than the icons
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Common questions
What is a Holson album?
A commercial photo-album brand; Warhol kept six of them as a personal archive and named the group after the product type.
When were the photographs taken?
Between 1972 and 1973.
Is it a big show?
No, it is a focused single-gallery presentation of works from the Whitney's collection on Floor 7.
Are there discounted admission times?
The Whitney runs Free Friday Nights and Second Sundays; check the museum's visit page for current details.
More this weekend
