He was Andy Warhol’s best friend. He also befriended Liza Minnelli, John Lennon and Keith Haring — and shot their portraits.
Christopher Makos was a prominent figure in the New York art scene of the 1970s and 1980s. This July, he came to Kyiv to present his photo exhibition “An Outward Glance: Christopher Makos on Andy Warhol’s Epoch.”
The exhibit consists of two parts: One shows scenes of underground New York in 1970–1980, while the second, called “Altered Images,” is dedicated to Warhol, who in the pictures is dressed as a woman.
Warhol, who died in 1987 at age 58, called Makos “the most modern photographer in America.”
Makos opened his art show on July 21 in Izolyatsia, an art gallery founded in Donetsk in 2010 and relocated to Kyiv in 2014 after Russia unleashed its war in Donbas.
“The exhibition is about identity,” says Makos. “In my photos you can see Andy Warhol dressed as a woman. But he is not only putting on woman’s clothes, he is trying out new identities.”
American artist Christopher Makos presents his photo project “Altered Images” on July 21 in Kyiv.) (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Makos believes that the exhibition is important for Ukrainians since they also are aiming to build a new society. “The world changes not from the top,” Makos insists. “Everything starts from the bottom and you, all of you, are responsible for its changes.”
Many people from around Kyiv came to listen to him in Izolyatsia. The room was booked with Makos’ fans, The artist turned out to be very energizing and interactive. He made the audience sing along to David Bowie’s “I Am Afraid of America” and answer his questions.
During his presentation, Makos also answered the Marcel Proust Questionnaire, known for its funny questions like: “On what occasions do you lie?”, “Which living person do you most admire?” or “What is your greatest regret?”
The audience learned that the biggest issue with Makos is patience.
“I always try to remember: patience, patience in every situation,” he said.
He also revealed that the only thing he could not live without were sneakers, and his motto is: “Be cool.”
Makos also named all of his famous acquaintances and tried describing their character in one word.
“(Salvador) Dali — mad, (John) Lennon — musical, (Mick) Jagger, Debbie Harris — musical, Keith Harring — very funny.”
He expressed gratitude to Liuba Mikhailova, an Izolyatsia founder, who brought his project to Ukraine.
“These photographs have been to London, Shanghai, New York, Florence and many other places, and now they’re here,” he said. “Ukrainians must feel very lucky.”
Zhanna Tarasova, a Warhol fan, came to the exhibition because, after discovering “Altered Images,” she started to follow Makos’ work too.
“I was so surprised to hear he will present his artworks in Kyiv, my hometown,” says Tarasova. “I always thought of him as an American over the sea, living in another, underground universe.”
