Silver Factory by Léa and Elizaveta

Super Socialising Workspace

The Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory is amazingly interesting example of the workspace of 60’s in POP ART movement. 

This Factory was located in New York, built in 1962 and was designed & decorated by Andy Warhol and his friend – Billy Name. Actually, the whole studio was covered with silver paint and aluminium foil. In our opinion, this space perfectly matched the pop-art artists movement, because it was something unusual, new and crazy. Moreover, this factory became a central point for Pop Art in the United States, it became the historical place where the pop artists had to be or go through out their lives. 

   Picture 1. Billy Name and Andy Warhol.    Picture 2. Main Factory's material. Silver aluminium foil.

The Factory was more than just a place where Andy Warhol could work, he wanted this studio to be a sanctuary for people of his kind. People looking for avant-garde ideas. They all were looking for a place to express their creativity without any process, to become free of expression without any judgments. Inside, everything was surrounded with inspirational atmosphere, where artists came up with new ideas, where Warhol surrounded himself with people who served him as an unlimited source of inspiration: some artists, movie stars, fellow artists, musicians, actresses, socialites, drug addicts, drag queens, free thinkers, and many others. In our point of view, the silver factory gave the impression of a travel to the space. The aim of Andy Warhol was probably to have this feeling of being in the stars or even touching them. He created this spaceship where his mind and creativity could be floating and travelling.  And this idea could be very much linked with the common expression "having the head in the clouds". 

Picture 3. Party at the Silver Factory.

This was a multiuser studio, where at the same moment could happen many things, in some part there was filming, in others silkscreening, meetings, drawing, creation of some prototypes, discussions, thinkings. The workspace was extremely spacious, so it was possible to work simultaneously for many people, and at the same time you could also find some privacy there, which is really great, because sometimes you need to work, think alone, whilst sometimes team is needed. Also, Warhol held parties in his studio, where he invited all his famous friends, so this workspace easily turned into a party space, which is very unusual and interesting idea of combining two absolutely different spaces together.

Picture 4. Activities inside the Silver Factory.

We think that’s amazing how this formal idea of a workspace at 60’s, where people were supposed to work hard and a lot can turn into the idea of a space where you can work, party, play, have fun. Actually socialising was a key of successful, amazing projects, which were done in Warhol’s studio and this socialising was created by the space, because it was open, it encouraged people to be together, gave them freedom. We are very up for the idea of having fun while work – when you work hard, and at the same time you enjoy your work, having fun makes more sense and results become better and more pleasant.