“If only these walls could talk” has never been so relevant. Can you fathom all of the things that must have happened in Andy Warhol’s first New York art studio? Oh you know, just the global icon who made pop art come alive, no big deal. Well you no longer have to imagine. You can now live this pop art dream. Warhol’s Upper East Side studio is officially on the market.
There was once a time, if you can believe it, when Andy Warhol wasn’t a household name. Before Campbell’s Soup, Warhol lived at home with his mother near 89th and Lexington Avenue. In the early 1960s the budding artist’s career began to form. Warhol was ready for his first personal art space.
According to artnet, “As a successful commercial illustrator, Warhol had spent the previous 13 years working out of his various homes," said artnet news contributor, Blake Gopnik, who is reportedly working on a biography about Andy Warhol, due out in 2018. “In 1963, he was only just becoming known as a fine artist, so it's no wonder he didn't invest in a fancier studio."
“The fire house only cost $150 a month, but it was a wreck, with leaks in the roof and holes in the floors, but it was better than trying to make serious paintings in the wood-paneled living room of his Victorian townhouse, as he'd done for the previous couple of years," Gopnik says. “Andy moved into the firehouse on January 1, 1963, and his lease on it was terminated the following May––leaving a gap of more than half a year before he moves into the famous Silver Factory."
Cushman & Wakefield currently hold the listing, which they describe as, “a unique opportunity that offers a developer a blank canvas to create boutique condominiums, a mixed-use rental, or a luxury townhouse on a site that is both rich in history and conveniently located for transportation.”
The 1910 building is just a short stroll from the 86th street stop on the 4, 5, and 6 subway line. It is also conveniently located near Museum Mile, where much of Andy Warhol’s work is exhibited. Don’t miss out on the chance to own a pivotal piece of art history, that is, if you’ve got $9,975,000 to spare.
