That Time Andy Warhol Kissed John Lennon, and More of Christopher Makos’s Studio 54-Era Snapshots
There were plenty of revelers that latched onto the scene in the ’70s and ’80s that was Studio 54, but take it from Lou Reed: Christopher Makos was not one of those hangers-on. “Makos was actually there,” he once said of the photographer. “A participant from the inside, not a latecomer from the outside.” Still, there seems to be no better evidence of that than Makos’s photos, which picture Andy Warhol everywhere from New York to Detroit to Paris—as well as in intimate scenes like the artist applying Debbie Harry‘s makeup, not to mention kissing John Lennon. None have aged a bit, and all are now available via Paddle8’s auction starting on Tuesday, which showcases the best of relationship with Warhol, whom Makos, after apprenticing with Man Ray, even taught how to use his first camera—as well as introduced to the art of pals like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Take a look back all three artists, plus a relatively baby-faced Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, in their glory days, here.
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Andy Warhol, Centre Pompidou, 1986. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Andy Warhol with Bikers on West Side Highway, NYC, 1981. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Andy Warhol, Detroit, 1985. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Andy Warhol, Altered Image, 1981. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Andy Warhol Painting the Flag, 1983. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Andy Warhol Applying Makeup to Debbie Harry, 1980. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Andy Warhol at Philip Johnson’s Glass House, 1981. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Andy Warhol Kissing John Lennon, 1978. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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The Gang of Four at Studio 54 (Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, and Halston), 1978. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Andy Warhol, Tiananmen Square, 1982. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1984. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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David Hockney, 1977. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Keith Richards, 1977. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Lou Reed, 1978. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Mick Jagger, 1977. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Debbie Harry, 1977. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Andy Warhol Kissing Ultra Violet, 1978. Photo by Christopher Makos.
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Keith Haring, 1983. Photo by Christopher Makos.
