Billy Name: The Silver Age: Black and White Photographs from Andy Warhol's Factory

by Billy Name (Photographer), Glenn O'Brien (Introduction), Dagon James (Editor), John Cale (Foreword by), Brigid Berlin (Contribution by)

Overview

This breathtaking tome is the definitive and comprehensive collection of Billy Name’s black-and-white photographs from Warhol’s Factory. Name’s photographs from this period (1964–68) are one of the most important photographic documents of any single artist in history. Name lived in a tiny closet at the Factory. He was responsible for the legendary “silverizing” of the space using aluminum paint and foil to complete the instillation. When Warhol gave Name a Pentax Honeywell 35mm camera, he took on the role of resident photographer and archivist. This visual essay, produced in collaboration with Billy name, offers an extensive trip through Warhol’s world. Name photographed the day-to-day happenings at The Factory with Andy, including visits from Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, Nico, Edie Sedgwick, Ivy Nicholson and Bob Dylan, and filming Screen Tests and features such as Chelsea Girls, Vinyl and My Hustler.

“Billy's book will go down in history as the best book about Warhol … [he] invented the term 'Factory Foto.' He was the first and he was the last Factory photographer. Period." –Gerard Malanga

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781909526174
Publisher:	Reel Art Press
Publication date:	12/05/2014
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 11.60(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

Dagon James is a New York based archivist, editor and curator. He is the founder and publisher of Lid magazine and fine art imprint The Waverly Press; the publisher of limited edition books and prints; and he works with museums and galleries worldwide.

Editorial Reviews

There are few others that got a better, or closer look in to the mysterious goings-on of Warhol’s Factory. Lucky for us, Andy gave Billy a Pentax Honeywell 35mm camera, with which he documented all that he saw during his time living in a tiny closet in the studio.

Country & Town House

His photographs — he took thousands, in a moody, high-contrast black and white — did more than just capture Warhol’s retinue, his “superstars”: Edie Sedgwick, Brigid Berlin, Gerard Malanga, Mario Montez, Mary Woronov, Ondine, and Bibbe Hansen. They also documented the larger scene around the Factory, including fellow artists like Ray Johnson, Jasper Johns and John Cage; the members of the Velvet Underground; the filmmaker Barbara Rubin; and admirers like Bob Dylan and Salvador Dalí.

The New York Times - Randy Kennedy

Name photographed everything and everyone, for the most part candidly, though there are a few posed compositions. This gives the book a powerful feeling of a documentary, of being in the moment with Warhol and his band of artists as they created their own counter-cultural universe.

The Gay and Lesbian Review - Matthew Hays

Not only do Name’s gritty, over-exposed shots give an insider’s perspective on Warhol, but they document an iconic era in American art history.

Huffington Post, December 10th, 2014 - Erin Whitney

This massive volume covers 1964-68 with images of the usual suspects we can't get enough of and obsess over: Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, Nico, Edie Sedgwick and Bob Dylan. Put this on the gift list for young and old alike.

Champagne and Heels, November 2, 2014 - Hellin Kay

Billy's book will go down in history as the best book about Warhol.

Gerard Malanga