[Column] The acoustic space called Factory: Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground
Column en 60s AndyWarhol VelvetUnderground![[Column] The acoustic space called Factory: Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground](/../assets/images/column-andy-warhol-velvet-underground.webp)
Establishment of a place called Factory
Text: mmr｜Theme: Delving into the core of culture through the reality of the “Factory” space in New York in the 1960s, where art production and music intersected in an undifferentiated manner, its acoustic and social meaning, and anecdotes from the people who gathered there.
Why was the silver room filled with sound?
Factory, the production base built by Andy Warhol in the mid-1960s, was not just an atelier, but an “open place” where something was always happening.
The silver paper pasted on the wall diffusely reflects light, making the sense of time vague. The boundaries between day and night were vague, and who was coming and going when. The production, the dialogue, the filming, the drugs, the music—it was all there at the same time.
Among the testimonies from those days, there is one that says, ““The silence at the Factory causes anxiety.’’ Because when the sound stopped, it meant that the event stopped.
Therefore, The Velvet Underground’s music was not just background music, but continued to play as proof that the space was alive.
An often-told anecdote is that Warhol gave little direction to visitors, simply letting them exist. He even accepted ““a state in which nothing is happening’’ as a work of art.
Factory was a testing ground for turning uncontrolled events into works of art.
Connection with The Velvet Underground
The idea of ”exhibiting” music
Andy Warhol became involved with The Velvet Underground around 1965.
This relationship was not a coincidence, but a natural intersection of underground culture in New York at the time.
Lou Reed, in particular, had a literary background and treated music not as mere entertainment but as a ““record of the city.’’ John Cale, on the other hand, was influenced by the avant-garde, introducing sustained tones and dissonance.
The tension between the two gave rise to the band’s unique sound.
A famous anecdote is that Warhol offered little technical guidance to his band, instead telling them to “just keep going.” This is completely consistent with minimal art and the idea of repetition.
Additionally, he suggested adding Nico to the band. This was more about visual and existential balance than a musical decision.
Music was treated as an element to maintain the tension of the venue, rather than as a measure of perfection.
Exploding Plastic Inevitable
Expansion of Factory as a club space
Exploding Plastic Inevitable (EPI), which began in 1966, was a project that brought what was being done inside the Factory to the outside world.
The event featured a performance by The Velvet Underground and a video of Warhol.
Records show that spectators were often confused and even angry. The reason was simple: ““I didn’t know where to look.’’
Anecdotally, one audience member experiencing EPI for the first time is said to have said, ““This feels like an accident scene, not a concert.’’
This “accident-like experience” was exactly what Warhol was aiming for.
The prototype of ““immersion’’ in later club culture and rave culture can be seen here.
EPI was a device that destroyed appreciation and transformed it into experience.
Story of masterpieces and spaces
Anecdote behind the work
Andy Warhol’s masterpieces are often described as cool and inorganic, but there is a strong story behind them.
Campbell’s Soup Cans The motif is the soup that Warhol himself ate on a daily basis. He found comfort in ““eating the same thing over and over again.’’
Marilyn Diptych Created after Marilyn Monroe’s death, it has a structure in which images multiply and disappear simultaneously.
Empire This film, which continuously filmed the same building for eight hours, is famous for having audiences leave one after another during the screening.
There are similarly legendary episodes on the music side.
The Velvet Underground & Nico (debut album released in 1967) Although it sold very little in the early years, it later became so influential that it was said that “everyone who heard it started a band.”
White Light/White Heat (second studio album released in 1968) It was rejected by audiences at the time due to its excessive noise and experimental nature.
These works existed on a different level from success and recognition.
His masterpiece was not a finished product, but a device that caused a change in perception.
Society and anecdotes
People gathered at Factory
There are countless anecdotes about Factory.
For example, it was common for visitors to directly appear in movies. There was no script, just cameras rolling.
One person said, ““I didn’t find out about the movie I was in until later.’’
Edie Sedgwick has also become a Factory icon, whose glamorous and destructive life is the stuff of legend.
Regarding music, Lou Reed is said to often perform with his back to the audience. This was an attitude that rejected the relationship with the audience and questioned the very concept of performance.
Factory was a place that produced stars, but at the same time it was also a device that consumed stars.
Chronology: Warhol and Music Space
1960s Crossroads
Warhol was shot in 1968, and the nature of Factory changed significantly after that.
It is said that this event marked the end of the Factory as a chaotic open space.
One incident changed the very nature of space.
Conclusion
The myth of Factory
Created by Andy Warhol and The Velvet Underground, Factory has become more than just a place, it’s a mythical space.
there
- music
- picture
- Human relations
- Coincidence
Everything kept intersecting.
And while many of them are recorded, they also remain as “legends” that are passed down from generation to generation.
Factory is a cultural device that continues to expand, mixing facts and anecdotes.
