Andy Warhol On Accusations of Being Evil

I find this quote a fascinating insight into the life of Andy Warhol. The heyday of his famous Factory studio was quite an amazing scene, with Warhol filming and recording the whole thing. He redefined what it meant to be an artist, and the criticism that he used people for his own ends, is a valid one, but I think he answers that well here:

"Now and then someone would accuse me of being evil--of letting people destroy themselves while I watched, just so I could film them and tape record them, but I don't think of myself as evil--just realistic. I learned when I was little that whenever I got aggressive and tried to tell someone what to do, nothing happened--I just couldn't carry it off. I learned that you actually have more power when you shut up, because at least that way people will start maybe to doubt themselves. When people are ready to, they change. They never do it before then, and sometimes they die before they get around to it..."

(Andy Warhol, POPism, p.269 Basquiat, A Quick Killing In Art.)

He wasn't preaching to or pushing anyone, just letting them be themselves. The fact does remain though that there were more than a few life and death incidents indirectly and directly related to Andy Warhol and his involvement with other artists.