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ANDYWARHOLINTHEFACTORYATUNIONSQUARENEWYORK1974CURATORSNOTESAPICTUREMEANSIKNOWWHEREIWASEVERYMINUTE.THATSWHYITAKEPICTURES.ITSAVISUALDIARY.ANDYWARHOLFormorethanthirtyyearsIhavehadapostcardoftheWarholimageatleft.PickedupinNewYorkduringmyundergraduatedaysthebackofthepostcardwasblank.Therewasnoindicationofphotographerorthedatetheimagewastaken.BackthenthatwasalrightwithmeWarholwastheattractionforthatyoungartstudent.OvertheyearsthatpostcardmovedaroundtomydraftingtablepaintingeaselontoabookshelfeventuallytomyMuseumofceandnowinmyhomeofce.DuringthistimeWarholhasremainedanimportantartworldgureformebutthephotographitselftookongreatimportancetoo.Thiscapturedmomentthecontemplativeposethestarknessofthesetting.WhotookthispictureandwhatledthephotographertomaketheseparticularchoicesThenin2012IattendedanexhibitionopeningandthereinapaintingbytheAmericanrealistMelLeipzigwastheWarholimageIknowMr.LeipzigwellandknewthathehadpaintedaphotographernamedJonNaar.LeipzighadsharedwithmesomeofthestoriesthatMr.NaarhadtoldhimofhiswaryearsinBritishIntelligenceoftheadvertisingphotographyhedcreatedandoftheportraitsofartistshedtaken.AndNaarlivedlessthanonemilefromtheStateMuseumIwasintroducedtoJonNaarthateveningandimmediatelysetupastudiovisitwithhim.WhatIsawonthatvisitwasastoundingphotographsthatcapturedtheever-changingculturalzeitgeistofthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcenturyandimagesthatclearlydepictthephotographerscuriosityofandstimulationgleanedfromallaspectsoflife.Naarhastraveledextensivelyandhasphotographedpeopleandplacesbothextraordinaryandquotidianwithasenseofintimacy.FromtheearliestimagestakeninmarketsinMexicoCitytohauntingimagesofconcentrationcampsfromtheglitteratioftheartandarchitectureeldstothegroundbreakingadvertisingimageshecreatedandlatertothegritandenergyofthegraftiworldJonNaarhasconsistentlybroughthisownintellectandhumanitytohissubjects.His1965imagesofLuisBarraganshouseinMexicowithitsboldcolorsandstronggeometryrevealNaarsearlyexplorationandmasteryofcolorandcompositionwhiletheatmosphericpicturestakenatDachauhighlightthephotographersuseofmoodtoexpressemotion.InthemanyportraitshehasproducedNaarportraystheessenceofthesubject.InadditiontoWarholwhomhephotographedanumberoftimesNaaralsoknewandphotographedothermajorartworldguresincludingJosefAlbersHarryBertoiaChristoJosephBeuysBarnetNewmanandAlexanderLibermanaswellasarchitectsanddesignersLuisBarraganMarcelBreuerandOlivierMourgue.Ineachoftheseworksthereisadirectnessasenseofconnectionbetweenthesubjectandthephotographeraswellasafeelingthatbothwereverymuchinthemoment.NaarsinuentialphotographyforadvertisingandpromotionalmaterialsforKnollinparticularbroughtamodernistaesthetictothewaycontemporaryindustrialdesignobjectssuchastheBertoiaandAlbinsonchairswererepresented.Theseartfully-designedchairsweredepictedinequally-artfulphotographs.Naarsinterestinthevisualimageryallaroundhimhasbeenadroitlyrepresentedinhisextensiveseriesongraftiitswriterstaggersandtheplaceswhereithasbeenandcontinuestobefound.Althoughgraftiwritersespeciallyinthe1970sand80swerepartofalargelyundergroundcommunitytheiroutputwasverypublic.Naarhassuccessfullydepictedbothsidesofthatworldshootingthegraftiwritersandtheirworkswithobviousadmirationfortheirenergyandcreativity.Todayinhisearly90sJonNaarcontinuestobestimulatedbylifewillingtosharethestoriesofhisfascinatingpersonalhistoryencouragingofyoungerartistspleasedtorecordtheworldheinhabitsandlledwithcuriosityandwonder.TheviewerluckyenoughtoexperiencetheseimagesgetsabriefglimpseintoNaarsworldandthefascinatingpeopleplacesandmomentshehascapturedthroughhislensaslifespanoplymovesaroundhim.MARGARETOREILLYCuratorofFineArtNewJerseyStateMuseum