Christopher Makos

CHRISTOPHER MAKOS (Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S., 1948).
“Morgan Winsor.”
Silver gelatin print. Printed in the late 1980s.
Stamped on the back. Signed and titled on the back.
Measurements: 50 x 40.5 cm

Makos knew how to capture the essence of the subjects he portrayed, the vast majority of whom were prominent figures in the society of the time, such as Truman Capote, Liz Taylor, John Lennon, and Mick Jagger. He generally took the photos in his studio, but he gave the subjects center stage, capturing their essence.

Christopher Makos is remembered, among other things, for introducing Warhol to the world of Polaroid. He is a legendary figure in New York. Although born in Massachusetts, he grew up in California and later settled in New York City in the 1960s. He went to Europe—specifically Paris—to study architecture, but his encounter with Man Ray led him to photography. Upon returning to the United States, he settled in New York City’s West Village. He collaborated closely with Andy Warhol, whom he taught how to use his first camera. He also introduced Warhol to the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Warhol described Makos as “the most modern photographer in the United States.” The close friendship between Makos and Warhol and the long trips they took together are chronicled in Makos’s book *Warhol: A Photographic Memoir* (New American Library). Makos’s works are included in the permanent collections of more than 100 museums; they have been the subject of numerous exhibitions in galleries and museums across the United States, Europe, and Japan; and they have appeared in numerous publications worldwide, such as *Interview*, *Rolling Stone*, *House & Garden*, *Connoisseur*, *New York Magazine*, *Esquire*, *Genre*, and *People*. Collectors such as Malcolm Forbes, Pedro Almodóvar, and Gianni Versace own works by him.