Andy Warhol: BBC Radio 4 Interview (March 17th 1981) 

"Painting is an excuse to listen to really good music" - finally a person who gets me

From what I understand, no not really. He really was shy and quiet, but he played it up when he realized that it was giving him a certain mystique. He liked messing around with people, especially interviewers.

If someone hasn't already made a talking Andy Warhol doll that vaguely and naively answers your questions with random pulls of a string, I think it would be simultaneously hilarious and a deeply touching homage.

"...it's called a walkabout, or a walkaman or something like that." I love that

I met Andy about a year after this interview. I was working as a busboy at Studio 54. It had just re-opened after their IRS problems. I was an art student. Earlier that day, I had seen some of Warhol's Joseph Beuys paintings at Pace Gallery. I distinctly recall they were very subdued, like a dark gray on black, very deliberately monochromatic, but what really stood out was they were done with some type of glittery finish. Possibly metal flake. Anyway, it was early in the shift, maybe like 8:30 or 9 (typically the place didn't get cooking till around 11-12) I was moving tables. I turned around and there is Andy Warhol, by himself, just standing looking out towards the dance floor. It was kind of like he just stopped in, though it was obvious he was too early. I walked up to him, said hi, and told him how much I enjoyed seeing his paintings at Pace Gallery that afternoon. "He smiled and said, "That's nice." Then walked out.

"the indian guy who turns out three or four thousand pictures a minute... or maybe it's a day..." warhol was such a fantastic comic

I love his voice

Not only was the man a genius of the highest order, he was very charming.

Professor Snape is the interviewer.

The 48 Laws of Power: Law 4: "Always Say Less Than Necessary" brought me here.

" oh yae. they call me granny "

Original thinker, Warhol is his own man. A driven free spirit.

Loveable, coy, Andy-love it.

His responses are golden !

I want a walker man too.

his voice is everything

I have to admit to my fascination with Andy Warhol. He was really unique. Yes Andy it is all about getting by…

I love his vagueness.

Painting is a good excuse to listen to music. - Andy

The interviewer actually got paid to do this?

I hate interviews of brilliant people. These are the dumbest questions. God, Andy's being patient, and nice here.

Painting is an excuse to listen to good music.

Every move was so well calculated no one can do this anymore he was such a genius

The quote about the shoes refers to something in his diaries from this era when he describes finding some of the actual models of shoes he used to draw in the 1950s commercially at a flea market in New York and it brought a sense of nostalgia so he drew them again. Andy Warhol is amazingly imperturbable and, to an interviewer, maddening because he just won't play along but he's so calmly inoffensive there's nothing for them to latch onto - he was a genius at that and created this incredible legend around himself from saying almost nothing coherent...

"Like a passport picture, those always turn out great" lmao.

4:08-4:34 really a modren idea of people collecting things, even art and just putting it away having no need to display it as andy says it. Really, decades beyond where he was.

Andy is just trolling... what a square reporter, he doesn't get it. I think this was common of celebrity status individuals back in the day. Beatles were trolling, Jim Morrison, etc. "Do you believe in emotions? (7:00)" If you're going to ask a stupid question, don't expect a serious answer.

"Do you believe in feelings and emotions?" "Well no I don't but I have them"

That was fascinating...thanks...

Interviewer sounds desperate.

What I like is the fact that his answers are totally honest and to the point and the interviewer just doesn't know what to do about it. I think Warhol really enjoyed seeing an interviewer squirm simply by not doing anything. His whole existence was one big piece of performance art.

Andy didnt seem to have much of a personality in his interviews...hmmm

This interview gets better the more times you listen to it and think about what is being said and why. The interviewer really understands Warhol and teases out what Warhol thinks he thinks. An artist does not need to understand everything he or she does or why they do it.

Good insight into the deception of the art world to itself and for itself. The art world is it's own worst enemy. Artists that kiss the right butt and play by the rules, such as Warhol win the prize of success. Most artists even to this day in 2020 paint because they have a statement to make in an honest way simply for the expression of craft. Warhol was a master marketer and some of his work was genius. Unfortunately there is a lot of down time for verbal masturbation and the non art world sees this, making a judgment on the legitimate producers of quality art. As I mentioned, some work of his is pure genius, but the work that we are familiar with is mostly not that genius. He had to play missy kissy withbthe art intelligentsia to get his foot in the door. This movie is an insight into that world of jibberish. Just dont write off this nonsense as the representation of his works. There have been ridiculous displays of art in major museums and the public eats it up, the flock is well trained to respond positively to the avant-garde with gushing delight, because the word is that this work is cutting edge, when the artist and the patron both know its garbage, but neither side is willing to blink. I do painting, but have no network, therefore I will be relegated to writing scathing comments on you tube and observing reality at a distance. Bye.....

the waka man lol min 5:55

REALLY? THAT HIGH!

What exactly is wrong with the interviewer Edward Lucie Smith that he sounds so annoyed, demanding answers like a hostile prosecuting attorney? As if Andy is committing some crime, getting away with something ELS doesn't like. Andy's evasive though- answering why he picks portrait subjects who come to him, he doesn't say "money". Asked why he does multiples, he doesn't say "More money". Which would be the honest truth, and there's nothing wrong with it. Only the very rich and vain could commission and pay for Warhol portraits of themselves. (Celebrities were a different matter.)

Iggy brought me here.

He's very sarcastic, and most don't get that.

3-4000 pictures a minute...or maybe it's a day.

What's the sign of a nice person andy? Someone who talks alot lol

THIS GUY IS SO ISPERATIONAL

God interviews were so pompous and condescending in manner back then.

Misunderstood genius...

I never met Andy, but I like hearing what he has to say.

Factory girl brought me here

It really makes a difference.

He Loved making people look Good!❤️

This is the day my parents had the sex that created me. I was born on Halloween, 1981.

Kenneth Goldsmith brought me here.

200 pictures 1 object? Mmm

he sounds like regular Finnish person.

@CharmedQuarkZ99 No one ever asks me about things !

This is such a brilliant interview! The best I have heard Andy talk. When he said Lisa Minelli was the best he had painted I applauded as she is my icon. Omg Andy at his best and honest.

I’ve just been reading studying eugenics online This is like another era to me the sixties and on It’s just funny what people talk about and are interested in I was thinking in 1000 years humans may be very different than we are now. Like people will have the ability with medicine to replenish there organs and presumably live a lot longer. Although I was thinking you could still starve to death or get in a fatal accident or get a fatal disease But also you will be able to get designer offspring hair color, eyes height etc. even designer personalities maybe you want a really smart child. Musical prodigy etc But it’s scary. Imagine bodybuilders 10 feet tall weighing a ton with advancements in steroids etc

his answers are well thought

lol i also like people that talk alot

I don’t think that this interviewer understands that Warhol is taking the piss out of him.

Really cool! Aspergers came to mind upon hearing him. Love his work!

Just another casual observer was Andy. Trying to like everyone.

yes.

💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎

It's magic! I’m a French fan of Andy Warhol, I sing his life and death, played on my channel!

06:58 know exactly how that feels

I think big problem with the world is the glockenspiel group,if you offered people warholdali Picasso Monet's how many would take the glockenspiel

LOL! Awesome observation!

Eh. He had an IQ of 86....

He was a savant, right?

Sounds like Kevin Spacey

this interviewer is insufferable

YES!!!!!!!

Guy is such a genius such a genius

Interesting man none-the-less though.

Iggy Azalea brought me here.

YES

👍👍👍

I don't think he's a genius at all I think he was definitely important in an almost dadaist way to prove that anything is art and to stand by his work but listen to this guy and look at his work. To say he's genius in my opinion is naive or viewpoint from someone who's trying to seem hip for "understanding" a man who obviously lacks the symbolism folks pretend to get.

Why can't the interviewer calm down?

i actually came here because i heard part of this interview on the mixtape TrapGold By Iggy Azalea .

He liked doing repetitive work, doing the same picture over and over like a tedious working assembly line worker. Perhaps his IQ was low.