American, born Forest City, Pennsylvania, 1928, died 1987 

 

Andy Warhol used the camera as a means to spontaneously record all that caught his attention. He strove to document every moment of his life, creating a remarkable visual diary in which he captured the faces of the rich and famous, the glittering New York disco scene, his day- to-day meanderings through the city, and glimpses of his world travels. His love affair with black and white photography began in 1976, when he picked up an easy-to-use Minox 35EL camera; it became his constant companion until his death at age fifty-eight. In keeping with his obsessive nature, Warhol made between 60,000 and 100,000 snapshots and Polaroids in his lifetime.

–Regarding Place: Photographs From The University Art Collections

Along with the photograph of Adbul-Jabbar, a photograph of Jon Gould, 
a close friend of Warhol, is also included in this exhibition. Gould was 
Warhol’s boyfriend in the early 1980s and someone with whom Warhol 
fell deeply in love. Gould lived a double life, between being a straight 
Paramount vice president in Los Angeles and seeing Warhol secretly in 
New York City. Of all the photos taken by Warhol, Gould is the most frequent 
subject, and through these images, such as the one in the exhibition, we 
are taken on an intimate journey of Warhol’s everyday goings and the 
people in his daily routine. Although Gould is simply taking a morning 
jog through Central Park, we can understand the love Warhol has for this 
man as he documents their life together. In 1986 Gould would pass away, 
from complications related to AIDS, with some scholars writing that his 
death influenced Warhol’s later work that features male figures along with 
themes of AIDS, mourning, and forgiveness.
–Double Play

Jon Gould (1953–1986)

    Met Warhol in late 1980; was Warhol’s last live-in boyfriend; died of AIDS in 1986.

–Andy Warhol: Portraits from the Warhol Photographic Legacy Program