Warhol film to feature turbulent relationship

In a powerful fury in 1968, Valerie Solanas shot Andy Warhol three times, hitting him once in the chest.

But what was her relationship with the artist like before this shooting spree?

The IU Art Museum’s Warhol Happenings will take a suspense-filled turn Thursday with the screening of “I Shot Andy Warhol.” The film will be shown at 8 p.m. in the museum’s Special Exhibitions Gallery.

The dynamic between the two artists was filled with turbulence, and this independent film follows the course of their relationship.

The screening is the second event in the series of three Warhol Happenings at the museum.  

The first happening was a show by local indie band Tammar and had close to 290 in attendance, said Jessica Reed, publicist for the IU Art Museum.  

Reed said she expects a similar reception for the movie, but since it is being shown in the gallery, the museum may be restricted to a smaller number of attendees.

The Happenings are being sponsored by the museum in conjunction with the current exhibit of some of Warhol’s photographs, “Shot By Warhol.”  

Within this film, the tables are turned.

Nan Brewer, curator of Works on Paper for the museum and organizing curator for the Warhol show, said the film’s content parallels with the exhibit’s photographs.

“The story of Valerie Solanas does relate to Warhol’s photographs,” she said. “At that time, he was moving away from the counterculture life of the factory to a more uptown life.”

Brewer added that during the point of his life that the film explores, his social circle was transitioning to the socialite scene in New York.  

This sense of important change is part of what she said drew interest toward showing this particular film.

“We wanted to show a feature film rather than a documentary because we thought it would be interesting to show a more fictionalized adaptation of the story,” Brewer said.

For the showing of the film, the Art Museum is partnering with the Ryder Film Series.

The screening offers a doubly unique experience for those who attend — apart from the chance to see the exhibit of Warhol’s photographs, the screening of the film is said to be one of the last, Brewer said.

MGM will be retiring “I Shot Andy Warhol” in the near future, and Brewer encouraged students and the public alike to take advantage of this rare opportunity.