On my way to the Food Bank this morning, I passed the Andy Warhol Museum. As others around me said things like "That looks interesting!" and "I want to go there soon, will anyone go with me?", I lightly chuckled. Warhol is all too familiar to me. When I see the museum's front doors and Andy's face in the gift shop window, my mind races a hundred thoughts per second.
I think of my middle name, Andrew. I think of my parents, whose first date was at his grave site. I think of glaring at his face in the lobby during Duquesne orientation week, my first breath of real independence.
I think of Dean and Britta.
"But Julian, why would Andy Warhol remind you of an indie pop duo from New York City?"
Because of the connection between sound and image.
This is one of the 13 Most Beautiful: Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests. A video of Lou Reed drinking a bottle of Coke, shot by Warhol in 1966, is accompanied by Dean and Britta's "Not A Young Man Anymore." Warhol would film celebrities doing ordinary things, calling them "screen tests." Reed's is arguably the most iconic of them all.
The Warhol Museum approached Dean and Britta about recording a group of songs to accompany the screen tests in order to enhance aural pleasure. They succeeded, because now, the two go hand-in-hand.
The rougher clips, like Reed's (rebel shades, messy hair), are immortalized by rock n' roll power chords and Dean Wareham's scale solos. The more gentle images are given tender care by Britta Phillips' soft voice.
By mixing sound and image, Warhol's visual art is brought to life, while Dean and Britta's music enters a whole new realm of meaning and emotion.
All of the screen tests can be found on Youtube, but for a more personal experience, Dean and Britta are bringing the 13 Most Beautiful to the Warhol Museum's theater on November 8th. You can purchase tickets here: http://www.warhol.org/webcalendar/event.aspx?id=6966
