Andy Warhol

A Short Guide To Andy Warhol’s Factory

Andy Warhol’s studio, The Factory, is probably the most well-known and notorious artist studio in history. Read out short guide to Andy Warhol's Factory here.

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Cow (F. & S. II.11) by Andy Warhol - MyArtBroker

Andy Warhol’s studio, The Factory, is probably the most well-known and notorious artist studio in history. Night after night it was the host to all kinds of debauchery, all the while Warhol was in the background turning out his celebrated screen prints.

 discovered a need for assistants in his studio soon after adopting screen printing as a primary medium; he was working on mass scale, sometimes in exceptionally large sizes. With the help of his assistants, the Factory earned its name. In the summer of 1964, the first to be called his Factory created 

, a series of works that were produced at the rate of 80 prints a day, with the Factory turning out more than 900 prints in total, in a variety of sizes. Later on that year, Warhol moved into his second studio, the first to be widely known as the Factory.

The Factory was also a social spot, a clubhouse of sorts. Warhol’s life-long assistant, 

, also served as his social organiser actively seeking out the most beautiful and interesting people for Warhol. These people used The Factory as a hangout, interacting with each other and watching Warhol work, often in 

 for which he is renowned. And while Warhol, famously antisocial despite his desire to be around people, worked in the background he would often involve his visitors, asking them for opinions on his choice of colour, or for their assistance with a print.

When did Andy Warhol start his Factory?

Campbell’s Soup I, Tomato Soup (F. & S. II.46) by Andy Warhol - MyArtBroker

Campbell’s Soup I, Tomato Soup (F. & S. II.46)

Campbell’s Soup I, Tomato Soup (F. & S. II.46) © Andy Warhol 1968

Actually, 'The Factory’ was a name coined by Warhol’s visitors. First and foremost it was Warhol’s studio, despite the parties and other going-ons that occurred. It was the amount of screen prints and films that were constantly being churned out of the space that lead his endless stream of glamorous visitors, who sometimes were 

, to refer to it as the Factory—a name that stuck.

Among the many aquaintances forged under the roof (or, rooves) of Warhol's Factory was that he formed with fellow artist 

. Though Basquiat first met Warhol in a restaurant, it wasn't until he later visited Andy Warhol in The Factory that the two started up a friendship, which would result in a prolific 

. Read more about the artists' relationship in

 Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol: An Unlikely Pair

The Name

Why did Andy Warhol call his studio the Factory?

Flowers (F. & S. II.65) by Andy Warhol - MyArtBroker

Flowers (F. & S. II.65)

Flowers (F. & S. II.65) © Andy Warhol 1970

Across his career, Warhol actually occupied four studios, the latter three were each called The Factory. Beginning with 47th street, the name was carried to his following two at Union Square West and 33rd Street. The Factory was Warhol and his entourage of visitors and assistance, rather than the physical space in which they inhabited and worked.

More than a studio

Where was Andy Warhol's Factory?

Cow (F. & S. II.11)

47th street was the most famous of his ‘factories’ primarily due to the décor. Billy Linich, hired by Warhol to design his studio, transformed the space into a world of silver. He covered the walls and ceiling arches in aluminium foil, spray painted every surface you can think of such as the toilet and the copy machine in silver and painted the floor silver. It was effectively a vision of the future and a manifestation of the now, of the world of industry that pervaded Warhol’s imagination.

The Silver Factory wasn’t just a space for visual art; it also became a hub for Warhol’s ventures into film. Using the studio as his cinematic playground, Warhol created experimental films that defied traditional storytelling and cinematic conventions. Works like 

 (1966), an innovative split-screen portrayal of Factory life, and 

(1964), a minimalist study of a man sleeping for several hours, were conceived and partially filmed within its walls. Many of these films featured Factory regulars, whose presence blurred the boundaries between life and performance. Through his films, Warhol explored themes of voyeurism, celebrity, and the mundane, cementing The Factory's influence on avant-garde filmmaking.

Silver factory

Warhol’s second studio was nicknamed the Silver Factory

 and Warhol formed a meaningful partnership – Warhol even becoming their manager. The Factory, a space for the hottest and most interesting people in New York to hang out, soon became even more socially relevant when it began hosting Velvet Underground rehearsals and performances. Warhol’s intimate experience with the band would lead him to create experiential works for their 

Clips from Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable (1966-67), created with The Velvet Underground (@abzesxx009 via Youtube)

Velvet Underground

The Factory hosted The Velvet Underground performances

After riding up to the Factory with Warhol in the lift in 1968, Valerie Solanas, a regrettable acquaintance of Warhol’s, nearly fatally shot him in the stomach. For the rest of his life Warhol would become paranoid of unwanted visitors, those who were once so warmly welcomed at the Factory. Moving to his final studio on 33rd Street, the Factory would now have a receptionist who screened visitors, transforming it from an uncontrollable social space into a much more sterilised place of business.

Warhol's near death experience

Warhol was shot by Valerie Solanas in the Factory

Bruno Ehrs, Drel 0020 xs vip andy warhol looking at thomas dellert banana split 1980 bruno ehrs, CC BY-SA 3.0

If you want an entertaining introduction to Andy Warhol's art market in 2023, why not listen to our 

MyArtBroker Talks: Collecting Andy Warhol podcast

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