Dali and Warhol - But Who In The Hell Is Markoya??

The short answer = Dali's protege.

A couple of months ago I attended an online chat with Dali's protege, Louis Markoya on deviantArt. He told interesting stories about Dali and how he interacted with other artists in the 70's. There is one story about Dali and Warhol that stuck in my mind that ends with Warhol pissing all over some paintings and selling them.

Today I went to see the Warhol exhibit at the Wexner Center for the Arts here in Columbus. I actually got to see those paintings, or what I assume to be the paintings, since they listed as acrylic and urine as the materials. It was just wild to see them in person. I bought the book at the exhibit and took a little snapshot of the page where they are presented. Eight small works called Oxidation.

Here is a recap of the interview where he relates the Warhol story. I hacked it from the original transcript. A link to the original is at the end of this blog. It is worth checking out.

Interviewer: Dali kept a watchful eye on current events. What 70's artists did he find interesting and who did he get in touch with?

Markoya: Well...Warhol was nearly always around...and there are a lot of Dali references to Warhol....they had a rivalry as to their court...the people who follow them, and Warhol actually wanted me to join his....but I never liked Andy or his work..and though I was a lowly factory worker at

Interviewer: I know Dali prided himself on being the first to have painted a Coke bottle.

Markoya: Ya...Warhol had his group of wild transvestites always...I found most of them pretty frightful. There is a great little known story of Dali getting a present from Warhol...Dali had designed a work called Marilyn-Mao and used M. Monroe...Andy knew of itand gave Dali a print of his Marilyn. Dali actually put it on the floor and pissed on it....later to be one upped by Warhol as he did a whole series of piss paintings that he sold for large sums that is pissed [on]...Dali loved Warhol...but not for his art...which he did not like at all* platinus will always question "mixed media" now...

Interviewers: Indeed. He just always seemed less haughty than the rest of the Warhol clan. Oddly cerebral, but pretty damaged.

Markoya: Well we have two great examples in Dali and Warhol...Dali was driven to always become better, more, more cerebral, reaching, etc...Warhol, rarely even touched his work once he became famous...

An Audience with Louis Markoya: The Chat and More Questions.


Picture Credits: ZOMG Zoey LOVES Butter by me...a really half-assed tribute to Warhol.