Photo of the Week #235

March 6, 2023
Andy Warhol’s Polaroid portraits are a document of the glittering company that he kept in the 1970s, serving as the basis for his iconic society portrait paintings. He photographed with the Polaroid Big Shot, a camera specifically designed for portraiture which was only in production from 1971-73, a tool he referred to as his “pen and pencil”. Liza Minelli and Bianca Jagger sat for these portraits at Warhol’s Factory, where their makeup was styled to create the bold emphasis on hair, eyes, and lips that Warhol's portraits favored. Minelli was so pleased with the silkscreen painting based on the shoot that she purchased four, and kept them installed in the entryway of her home for decades to come.

In the 1970s Bianca Jagger, Liza Minelli, and Andy Warhol were close friends and their social set was a favorite of tabloids and paparazzi. Minelli’s star was rising, having recently won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the box office hit Cabaret. Bianca Jagger was living the life of a glamorous jet-setter, having emerged from her husband Mick’s shadow to become one of the decade’s defining fashion icons. The three were often seen together, holding court at the newly opened Studio 54.