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Movie Stills, Year I, II, & III
The thirty-minute film Figments: Conversations with Andy Year III (2011) demonstrates that, out of all of the twentieth-century artists, Andy Warhol elicits responses from the widest range of visitors who come from as far away as Australia or as close as their homes across the street from the cemetery. Most of the pilgrims are not scholars or celebrities, at least not professionally, but they are perhaps the most widespread of Warhol’s legacies and, in a sense, the most Warholian.
I have videotaped more than eighty visitors to Andy’s grave who play out fantasies about their “best friend forever, Andy,” as they write notes to him, tell stories, dance, play music, or sing with him at his tombstone.
Included in the movie are segments showing a selection of these pilgrims. There is a paranormal group channeling Andy, who says through the medium, “It’s just fabulous talking with you from the other side.” A celebrity from the United Kingdom visits Andy and, also while channeling, receives a message from Lady Di. A man tells a story at Andy’s birthday party about meeting David Bowie dressed as Andy Warhol during the filming of Basquiat in New York City. A seven-year-old girl gives Thanksgiving treats to Andy, including a dragon that will “help you if you have some trouble doing things.” And artist Paul LeRoy Gehres performs for Andy during his death memorial on February 22, 2011, gives tribute to Liz Taylor who also passed away in March of that year, and tells us the Liberace ghost story on Halloween. The movie is dedicated to musician Dave Olson, who plays for Andy throughout the film and went to join him in the afterlife in November of 2013.
The film stills shown here are predominantly from 2009, 2010, and 2011. A few are from 2012, and the Year IV and V films are upcoming.