Admiring Useless Things

bbook: You were a muse to Salvador Dali. What attracted you to Warhol? They were exceedingly different, as artists and as people. Oh, no doubt! I came from France, and the first person I met when I came off the boat was Salvador Dali. I realized that I was ‘surreal’, which I never knew until I met Dali. Then one day Dali introduced me to Warhol. I knew Surrealism was going to end, like every movement, and I was in New York to ride the Pop Art wave. I was hypnotized by Warhol, he hypnotized people. There were a lot of other pop artists, but he was so clever to have that huge silver loft. And the door was open so anyone could come in; the whole world came through. It was very exciting, and the whole group at The Factory was so unique. Dali and Warhol were competing for you? I used to see Dali and Warhol at the same time, and Warhol would say, ‘Dali is too old, give him up.’ He was very jealous, because he wanted to have the fame of Dali. Warhol copied a lot from Dali’s technique on how to be famous. When the astronauts came back to Earth, I think it was Time magazine that gave a dinner. I and Andy were invited and Dali was not. That was a sign that things were turning. Ultra Violet on Fame, the Factory, and Leaving Dali for Warhol

bbook:

You were a muse to Salvador Dali. What attracted you to Warhol? They were exceedingly different, as artists and as people.
Oh, no doubt! I came from France, and the first person I met when I came off the boat was Salvador Dali. I realized that I was ‘surreal’, which I never knew until I met Dali. Then one day Dali introduced me to Warhol. I knew Surrealism was going to end, like every movement, and I was in New York to ride the Pop Art wave. I was hypnotized by Warhol, he hypnotized people. There were a lot of other pop artists, but he was so clever to have that huge silver loft. And the door was open so anyone could come in; the whole world came through. It was very exciting, and the whole group at The Factory was so unique.

Dali and Warhol were competing for you?
I used to see Dali and Warhol at the same time, and Warhol would say, ‘Dali is too old, give him up.’ He was very jealous, because he wanted to have the fame of Dali. Warhol copied a lot from Dali’s technique on how to be famous. When the astronauts came back to Earth, I think it was Time magazine that gave a dinner. I and Andy were invited and Dali was not. That was a sign that things were turning.

Ultra Violet on Fame, the Factory, and Leaving Dali for Warhol