Hi Andy, how are you?
Mmm...good.
What is the first thing you do in the day?
Take a photograph.
And the second?
Eating.
Have you already eaten?
Yes, my assistant prepared something for me. Red soup.
What was the most horrible thing you've ever eaten?
Ketchup with water, when we were poor...my mom used to make it.
Now you have money, you are an established artist. You don't have to worry about your next meal.
It's true...now what worries me is that I will have to prepare it for myself when others don't want to do it for me.
Do you have a favorite food?
Hershey's Chocolate. Oh yeah...it's delicious. My mom used to give me one every time I finished a page in my coloring book. I should be paid for my work with Hershey's chocolate and not dollars.
Are you uncomfortable eating in public?
No...well, maybe, I guess...But I'm never uncomfortable eating hamburgers.
Why?
Everyone eats hamburgers. Even the Queen of England does.
What do you like to drink more, milk or coffee?
Mmm...milk. Can you feel it on my skin?
Regarding Campbell's soup, do you plan to switch brands someday?
I don't know. I haven't thought about it...I don't know if I could paint another soup. I've been eating it since I was a kid.
You are an artist, of course you can.
But I'd have to buy a lot of soups to know which one I like...plus I'd have to go for more paints. That would take me a long time...mmm. I don't know...I don't know if I have time. I don't know if I want to. What soup do you like?
Have you ever met or dined with the owners of Campbell's?
No. I don't want to. I can't get too involved.
What are you reading lately?
Interview magazine.
Do you have a favorite synonym?
“Celebrity” and “Death”.
An Antonym?
“Cute” and “Ugly.”.
And a favorite Paronym?
“Cash” and “cash”.
They are spelled the same, isn't the meaning the same?
No, because one is cash and the other is Johnny Cash's last name...one is capitalized and the other is lowercase.
I hadn't thought of it that way.
It is a divine coincidence.
What is the closest thing to reality that you have read?
Comic books. It's a reflection of life...like being in a western. I have to get a cowboy outfit...
Do you plan to write your biography?
Mmm...not much to say about me.
You've had an interesting life, maybe you can write some short stories or a novel.
A novel? Oh no...I'd need a lot of people to help me write it.
Do you practice any religion?
I go to church every Sunday, if I like religions. Does glamour count as religion?
Is there anything you would like to do for others?
Give them money, if I had any. Maybe Edie (Sedgwick) could give it to them for me.
How do you describe your friends?
Like a family from a TV show...not yet taped.
Have you ever had a favorite roommate?
I don't think so...mmm. Maybe New York cockroaches...not my favorite but definitely not boring.
What are your favorite things?
Almost everything. Common objects of daily use.
Campbell's, Coca Cola and Brillo are in your paints, do you plan to put another product of daily use/consumption?
Mmm...I haven't thought about it. I think I'm out of ideas.
Do you have a favorite song?
The sound of helium, when it comes out of the silver balloons.
What is your obsession with silver?
Candy Darling (interrupts): By the stars, superstar!
Me: Isn't gold more appropriate for stars?
Andy: No, we are underground.
Candy Darling: Gold is vulgar.
Do you have a favorite place to rest?
The street, I wish they would put carpets on the sidewalks...so you can sleep at any time.
Are you afraid of something?
Hospitals have never appealed to me.
Do you exercise?
Yes. When I get out of bed.
Do you have a pet?
No...maybe the pigeons in Central Park...I don't know if they like me.
If you had a pet, what name would you give it?
If it were a dog...I don't know. Mmm... it could be called “Polaroid”.
Would you like to have one or more pets?
I don't know...maybe the other mascot would be called “Polaroid 2”.
Brigid Berlin (shouts): Come on Andy, you can do better than that!
Gerard Malanga: can be called “Pincel”.
Brigid Berlin: “Vagina” is better.
Andy: I couldn't have a pet, I work all the time...although I would like to meet white horses.
Why targets?
I like that color in my hair.
Do you ever plan to change your hair color?
Never. I couldn't recognize myself in the mirror. I would lose myself...I wouldn't know what to do.
Why do you wear dark glasses?
I don't want people to steal my ideas. If they look me straight in the eye they might steal my ideas and I would have to work on new ideas...I don't like difficult.
Do you have plans to make another film?
I don't know, can you do it for me? I could give you twenty dollars.
What do you like most about making films?
Mmm...keep the camera still.
Why?
Because it's easier. I could do a painting or a photograph in the other room, while the camera records...it's boring to be there all the time shooting your own film.
Do you know how many photographs you have taken?
No. Do you know anyone who can count them?
Do you still have your first photograph?
Yes, I think it's that way.
One of my favorite paintings is of Elvis, why did you decide to use an image of him with a gun and not with his guitar?
Well, he wanted to...mmm...maybe he wanted to know if you could do a song with a gun. He's always with his guitar, it would be cool if he did a song with bullets.
How many studies do you have at the moment?
The Factory and Studio 54.
Speaking of places, do you plan to visit Pittsburgh in the future?
No...oh no. I'd have to be dead to go back there.
Do you believe in hell?
I have been there.
What is it like?
It was the house where I spent my childhood.
What do you think of new artists, such as Keith Haring and Basquiat?
They are beautiful.
Do you have any advice for them?
Mmm...make it more silver.
Do you have a partner at the moment?
My recorder is my wife.
What has been the most interesting conversation you have had?
Mmm...with a telephone poet.
Me: What is a telephone poet?
Andy: A poet reciting over the phone. It's beautiful the sound of his voice with the noises of the phone line.
What title would a song about you have?
Edie Sedgwick (interrupts): “Drella.”.
Can we take a picture?
Ah, yes. Mmm...we can go to the photo booth on 42nd Street. It's better.
We could stop by “Serendipity 3” first, for a coffee.
You're the boss, applesauce.
Photography by Lars Wastfelt
I want to have a cup of coffee with everyone and have a good talk while playing music on my cell phone.