Warhol, Club Culture, and the Black Celebrity Image

In conjunction with the exhibition Andy Warhol’s Social Network: ‘Interview,’ Television and Portraits, join us for a panel conversation moderated by author, music historian, and DJ Adrian Loving, featuring legendary New York artist and filmmaker Fab 5 Freddy, and Rory Trifon, president of The Estate of Richard Bernstein. In this conversation the panel discusses Warhol’s participation in club culture beginning in the late 1970s and his representation of Black celebrities ranging from Grace Jones and Aretha Franklin to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The panel unpacks Warhol’s social ties, his engagement with Black music culture, and interest in exclusive entertainment circles throughout the 1980s.

Adrian Loving
Adrian Loving is a visual arts educator at Georgetown Day HS in Washington, D.C., cultural historian, and DJ – curating public programming, exhibitions and performing internationally. His 2021 book Fade to Grey: Androgyny, Style and Art in 80s Dance Music focuses on the intersection of art, gender and dance music. Loving will appear in the forthcoming PBS documentary Making Black America in Fall 2022.

Fab 5 Freddy
Fred Brathwaite, aka Fab 5 Freddy emerged in the late 1970’s as a New York City graffiti artist who was one of the first to exhibit his paintings internationally. Along with friends and contemporaries, Futura 2000, Keith Haring, Lee Quiñones and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Fab was a key player in New York’s 1980’s downtown cultural scene instrumental in elevating graffiti into a disruptive movement that would eventually give birth to street art. In addition to his visual art, Fab co-produced, starred in and composed the music for the cult classic film, Wild Style and went on to direct music videos for numerous hip hop stars. From the late 1980’s into the mid-90’s he was the original host of YO! MTV Raps, the groundbreaking TV show that took hip hop culture global. Today he continues to make and exhibit his visual art and produce and direct projects for film and television.

Rory Trifon
Rory Trifon is the nephew of Richard Bernstein and President of The Estate of Richard Bernstein. The Estate of Richard Bernstein is the heir to the legal rights and interests of the Artist; the mission of which is to honor him by maintaining and enhancing his legacy and to make his art more accessible to audiences throughout the world. Trifon formally created the estate in 2016. He has since produced the book Richard Bernstein Starmaker: Andy Warhol’s Cover Artist (Rizzoli, 2018) and led the Estate’s business relations with museums, galleries, publishers, and licensing operations with brands such as Coach, Loewe, Henzel Studio, and Flavorpaper. He holds a B.A. from The University of Connecticut. Please visit www.RichardBernsteinArt.com for more information. 

• Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
• Masking is optional for this event.