I've been SHOT!

So last weekend I went to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and I saw the Richard Avedon exhibit (and it was AMAZING). Richard Avedon was a very talented photographer who got his start as a photographer as a young merchant marine when he was designated to be his ship's ID photo-taker. (He was the only person on board who had a camera). Well he realized that he was really good at taking people's portraits... and then he started working for Harper's Bazaar! He's done some amazing work and worked with some amazing people. He was a somewhat-often visitor to The Factory, and he photographed Andy and other regulars on more than one occasion. I won't get into some of those pictures... but here's one I like.


This is Andy Warhol's chest. When I was standing in front of this photo, and I heard a woman behind me say... "he looks like he's gone under the knife a few times..."

Excuse me, what?!?!?! Was she serious??? She couldn't be, right? I mean, those scars are obviously not from plastic surgery... ANDY WARHOL WAS SHOT! And then, the doctors had to open up his chest and MASSAGE his HEART to get it to START BEATING again!!!!

Talk about extraordinary measures! His was a life worth saving. Here's what he said about being shot:
"Before I was shot, I always thought that I was more half-there than all-there – I always suspected that I was watching TV instead of living life. People sometimes say that the way things happen in movies is unreal, but actually it's the way things happen in life that's unreal. The movies make emotions look so strong and real, whereas when things really do happen to you, it's like watching television – you don't feel anything. Right when I was being shot and ever since, I knew that I was watching television. The channels switch, but it's all television."

I hope I'm not watching television when I get shot.