3. EN/DE
Warhol / Basquiat, NYC Sept. 1986
Wolfgang Wesener

Warhol / Basquiat, NYC Sept. 1986

, 1986/2023
  • Material
    Fine Art Print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag
  • Edition Size
    75
  • Measurement
    35,4 x 27,9 cm
    Edition 75 + 5 AP
    signed and numbered on label
  • Details about the frame
    Handmade, black stained and waxed maple frame, including spacer bar. External dimensions of the frame approx. 40.6 x 33.1 cm. Including museum glass and hanging on the back.
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About the Edition

Wolfang Wesener alias wowe was 24 years old, a student at the Essen Folkwangschule and had been in New York for two months when he stood in front of his idol Andy Warhol: at Keith Haring's birthday party in the Paradise Garage, a gay club with the best sound system in the city . That was in 1984. There he photographed Warhol for the first time. That same evening, much later, a journalist friend said to him: “Take a photo of the guy who is about to die.” What he meant was Jean-Michel Basquiat, so she was right. Keith Haring figures can be seen on the balloons in the background. From then on he often met the two artists in the nightlife. The double portrait of Warhol and Basquiat was taken at a party for Area employees in a small bar. The Area was the hottest club in New York in the 80s, and wowe soon worked here as the in-house photographer. “May I take your picture?” He always used the phrase to get in touch with stars who were usually used to paparazzi. A door opener that also enabled eye contact. “Most of the time I only pulled the trigger once, like in this case, there is only one photo of it.” With his black and white snapshots - taken with a Leica and flashlight due to the darkness in the clubs - he catapults us right into the middle of the action in New York, at the time the most influential place for contemporary art. Its great quality lies in its immediacy. He gives us valuable insights into a legendary time.

About the Artist

Wolfgang Wesener (*1960 in Cologne) initially photographed the nightlife in New York for the fashion and lifestyle magazine “Details”. Soon after, he assisted Hans Namuth, known for his Jackson Pollock portraits. When he was still 26, he began taking photographs for the FAZ magazine and stayed with it until the glossy supplement was discontinued in 2020. Whether Keith Haring, Frank Zappa, Grace Jones – he got countless stars in front of the camera. His photographs are exhibited internationally, including in New York, Berlin, Rome, Naples and Prague, and are part of the most important European photography collections.

Latest Exhibitions (Selection)

wowe had two solo exhibitions at the renowned C/O Gallery in Berlin - in 2002 his photos from New York nightlife were shown under the title “Comets of the Night”. The exhibition “Essence. Twenty-five Years of Portraits”.

Links of Interest (Selection)

Instagram-Account von wowe
wowe im Video-Porträt von Leica

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Deutsch version