What to know
- Andy Warhol collaborator Gerard Malanga made two sold-out appearances in Toronto last week.
- Malanga worked alongside Warhol on iconic silkscreen series including Flowers, Campbell’s Soup Cans, Marilyn Monroe and Death and Disaster.
- During a Q&A at Peach Berserk, he reflected on life inside The Factory, Warhol’s creative process and the origins of some of Pop Art’s best-known works.
- The visit also included a film screening, poetry reading, book signing and silkscreen workshop.
Andy Warhol peer Gerard Malanga, a collaborator of the late Pop artist and filmmaker during the key 1963-1970 period, was in Toronto for two sold-out appearances last week.
The 83-year-old, who became an established poet, photographer and filmmaker in his own right, worked alongside Warhol on such iconic silkscreen series as Flowers, Campbell’s Soup Cans, Marilyn Monroe, and the Death and Disaster works. He was also a key Factory performer in Warhol’s multimedia Exploding Plastic Inevitable shows with The Velvet Underground, helping shape the visual presentation.
The Toronto appearances began June 24 with a screening of his 1964 experimental film Andy Warhol: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, followed by a poetry reading, Q&A and book signing at Paradise Theatre, presented by iconic Toronto promoter Gary Topp. Then, on Thursday evening, Malanga did another Q&A hosted by Toronto silkscreen entrepreneur, fashion designer and shop owner Kingi Carpenter of Peach Berserk, which included a silkscreen workshop and 60s-style dinner.
The talk and silkscreen workshop, billed as A Creative Life with Gerard Malanga, was limited to 45 guests, who were packed into the artistic space with mismatched chairs and every square inch of wall space covered in framed art.
Flanked by two pillars of giant silkscreened Cherry Blossom boxes — the recently discontinued Canadian candy from the 80s – Malanga, seated in a wheelchair, answered enthusiast questions from Carpenter and audience members. It was a dream come true for Carpenter.
“I just wanted to say a little bit about myself and why this is so important,” she began, holding up the book Edie — about Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick — which she got in 1983 and read countless times, explaining it opened up a window to the New York arts scene.
“I became obsessed,” Carpenter said. “So then I thought, ‘Man, I want to learn silkscreening so I’m gonna go to art school.’ I dropped out of university…Well, oh, my God, the first time I lifted the screen, it was like a religious experience — the only one I think I’ve ever had — because it’s Pop art. It’s self-expression. There’s so much you can say with it.”
“You can print anything,” she added. “I love fashion, so I thought, ‘Wait a minute, I can print fashion.’ So, I dropped out of art school and started my fashion business Peach Berserk. And, seriously, without Andy and Gerard, it never would have happened. That’s how important this is to me…So that’s why it’s so important having you here with us today.”
“He was so instrumental in creating what we all love in an artform,” she said. In 2024, noting his global influence, Malanga was elected as a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture for his contribution to the arts and literature
Carpenter hired videographer Adam March to record the half-hour conversation, which may be posted online at some point. Malanga, who speaks softly and was at times difficult to hear from the back of the room, discussed everything from why they silkscreened on the floor to the creation of Flowers and the Disaster series to the Warhol and Factory legacy.
Malanga told how he began silkscreening at age 16, taking a summer job with Leon Hecht in 1960. “Leon was one of the most successful textile designers of all time,” he said, recalling work they produced for Rooster Ties with its signature square bottom and then with textile chemist Charles Singer.
“We silkscreened on a daily basis — 30 yards of textile fabric, pre-striped fabric, which we silkscreened on top of, with — a very important point — water-based inks. I say that because when I went to work for Warhol, we didn’t use water-based inks. We used oil-based inks, which is much more difficult.”
He also answered Carpenter’s first question about why they silkscreened on the floor, explaining that the canvas was placed on a wooden support over newspapers. “With pieces that large, things get moved around a little bit, but we weren’t concerned with that.”
After the Q&A, Malanga did not personally conduct the silkscreen workshop with Carpenter, he watched attentively and spoke with attendees who approached him, obliging requests for selfies.
Carpenter often holds events at Peach Berserk, including four Punk Talks earlier this year that were just $12. There’s another “A Creative Life” evening coming up on July 18, this time with Lowest of the Low’s Ron Hawkins, featuring dinner, a live performance, Q&A, and, of course, a silkscreen workshop on two items, plus a canvas. Attendees can choose from 12 original Ron Hawkins designs. Tickets are available here.
