40 years ago, Cathy Naso was a 19 year old teenager who worked as a receptionist. She happened to be a receptionist at Andy Warhol's workshop. Well, one day Andy gave her a self portrait he made and he inscribed to her personally. Cathy took the painting home, displayed it for a few months and then put it away for 40 years. Now 59, she decided that this would be the right time to sell the painting.
Last night it went on the auction block with some other Andy Warhol paintings. Cathy's painting was expected to sell for $1M. Instead it sold for $6.1M.
"I think I am dreaming. Andy has made me famous for 15 minutes and I've come to realize that 15 minutes of fame is more than enough."
Preach it Cathy and while you are it go take a megaphone and and walk some red carpets and tell it to some others who could use a reminder.
It probably helped her cause a great deal to have some serious Warhol bidders there last night. His dollar bill painting which had been bought in 1986 for about $400K was expected to sell for $10-$20M and it ended up selling for about $44M.
Good for her. I like a story with a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI love Warhol's work so much, I couldn't ever imagine selling something that was inscribed to me personally. I went to see his Death and Disaster series so often that I think a few people at the AGO thought I was slightly mental.
ReplyDeletelove her perspective! so true.
ReplyDeletei hope she's off to a secluded tropical beach somewhere and toasts andy w/ a good yummy mojito. go her.
Well that's a nice way to retire.
ReplyDeleteITA *girl. how could you ever sell something like that?!
ReplyDeleteYou people keep the paintings and I'll take my 7-8 figure payday
ReplyDeleteRecession what? Looks like things really are picking up
ReplyDeleteWay to go, her!
ReplyDeleteHow could you NOT sell it?
That's an amazing story. I love Warhol.
ReplyDeleteAs she's in the same line of work as several of us, I'm ecstatic for her!
ReplyDeleteHa haaaa, "Preach it Cathy"
ReplyDeleteGood one, Enty!
*digging in attic for any old art*
the only people who would not sell this painting is someone who is not in need of money. the right artwork truly holds its value.
ReplyDeleteEXCELLENT !
ReplyDeleteScore for Cathy!
ReplyDeleteThere is a Warhol exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum right now. It is so cool. I didn't think I would like it but really enjoyed it.
whos all been to the warhol museum in pittsburgh?
ReplyDeleteas much as i'm on the fence about andy as a person et al, I love the balloon room. it really is inspirational and pretentious at the same time ;)
but anyway, wow. $44M? my life is worth like .000001% of that :\
I'm down today. ugh.
I'm happy for Cathy but, jeezus - who has $44MILLION? Do they have some flu shots in the back room as well? Cause, really, share some of that love over this way.
ReplyDeleteWarhol was an original.
ReplyDeleteGood for her.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's wonderful for her! What a cool thing to tell the grandkids. Having $6 million in the bank doesn't hurt either.
ReplyDeleteVery wise of her to recognize that '15 minutes' is just that, and doesn't mean one is destined for super stardom as so many before her have convinced themselves.
Who has 44 million dollars lying around to throw at something to hang on your wall. Really? Aren't there starving children and adults all over the WORLD?
ReplyDeletei like that andy warhol was totally right with the 15 minutes of fame statement.
ReplyDeletehe saw that reality tv was coming lol
Yay for her, she sounds like a real person who deserves it, but I kinda wish that some folks 15 friggin' minutes would end already (i.e. some of those so-called "reality" stars; nothing real about them!)
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for her. :)
ReplyDeleteBut sad for me, since I'm not her. :(
Good for Cathy.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm saving my wampum for one of Andy's brother's Polish chicken paintings.
Man, if there's any justice in the universe Andy Warhol is slowly roasting in hell. One of the most disgusting human beings of the 20th C. Oh, and very over-rated as an artist IMHO, although it's true that one person's trash is another's masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteGood for her! However, I agree with those of you who are thinking WTF? It's nice to know that some people have that kind of money that they can throw away on something as trival as a painting. God forbid they should fund a homeless shelter or a no-kill animal shelter or several daycare centers or open a factory in a depressed area or . . . Well, y'all get the idea!
ReplyDelete