30-year anniversary culminates with a special Warhol celebration of his life and art

Many of us remember that day 30 years ago, April 1, 1987; but while on assignment for Vanity Fair, internationally renowned photographer Christophe von Hohenberg actually experienced and captured the end of an era and the bittersweet, yet stellar, send off of the 58 year old Pop icon, Andy Warhol.  Von Hohenberg, took more than 600 photos of what Grace Glueck of the New York Times called the “most droppable names” in the world of Hollywood, fashion, music, art and international society. Fifty of these photo subjects, taken in and outside Warhol’s star-studded Memorial service at St. Patrick’s, will be unveiled on March 3rd at Alfstad & Contemporary in Sarasota, Florida.  The exhibition titled Remembering Warhol: Thirty Years Ago, culminates on the 30th anniversary of the Memorial service with a Warhol Celebration.  During the evening of April 1st,  von Hohenberg will be signing copies of his book, The Day the Factory Died which received the Photo District News Photo Book Award and the AIGA Book Award.

“My photographs convey warmth and sadness, despite the high-glitz factor of that day,” says von Hohenberg. “Thirty years later, I still see the classic Raquel Welch defiantly standing in front of the Cathedral in a full length fur coat. I have framed in my mind a hurrying Robert Mapplethorpe,  and Liza Minnelli on the arm of Halston.  My favorite though, is the outside shot of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, because the Hitchock-ish angle of the shot sums up that whole event for me.”

Warhol’s memorial service was on April 1, 1987 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, where over 2,000 guests were in attendance featuring the most renowned and legendary figures of fashion, music, international society, art and Hollywood . Crowds of curious onlookers filled the surrounding streets and had to be held back by barriers and NYPD. Through his lens, von Hohenberg documented a veritable time capsule of the social swirl of the magical era that Warhol had such a hand in shaping.

In addition to the iconic photographs, Alfstad & Contemporary will also showcase corresponding celebrity remembrances and antidotes that von Hohenberg collected by writing to a number of famous guests in attendance. Some, like designer Diane von Furstenberg, sent back hand-written notes, and others, like Claus von Bulow, dictated their thoughts onto personal stationary. Collectively the letters are a remarkable testament to a certain social and cultural world that seems to have long ago vanished into the ether of history.

Exhibit Dates: March 4th- April 1 (Tuesdays-Saturdays 11-5 PM)

Opening Night Reception:  Friday, March 3   5:30-8:00 PM

Closing Night Celebration:  Saturday, April 1  5:30 – 8;00 PM

                 Alfstad& Contemporary         1419 5th Street, Suite A, Sarasota, FL 34236       Tel: 941.366.6400

About Christophe von Hohenberg

Von Hohenberg began his career in 1979 when he was discovered by American Vogue and worked for publications including Interview, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, French and German Vogue, German Rolling Stone, Fortune, and The New York Times Magazine. In 2007, his critically acclaimed book Andy Warhol: The Day the Factory Died was awarded the AIG Book and Photobook District News Award. He has since published two well received books of photography: ANOTHER PLANET: New York Portraits, 1976-1996 and Shadows of the Gods: Mexico City. His work has been included in two exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He has also had solo exhibitions at the Goss-Michael Foundation in Dallas and the Amerika Haus in Munich. The artist has exhibited extensively both in the United States and abroad. Von Hohenberg divides his time between New York City, The Hamptons and Mexico.