Paul Morrissey

Paul Morrissey (born 1938) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and photographer, best known for his central role in New York’s avant-garde art scene of the 1960s and 1970s. A close collaborator of Andy Warhol, he played a key part in shaping the visual and cultural identity of The Factory, the famous New York studio that became a hub of artistic and cinematic experimentation.

Although Morrissey is primarily recognized as a filmmaker – with landmark films such as Flesh (1968), Trash (1970), and Heat (1972) – he also documented the Warhol scene through photography. His images capture the intimacy, glamour, and occasional provocation of the artists, musicians, and actors who frequented The Factory. These photographs offer a unique glimpse of Andy Warhol and his collaborators, immortalizing informal moments, performances, and portraits of pop culture icons.

Morrissey’s work highlights the contrast between the apparent frivolity of New York’s art scene and the creative depth of its participants. His photographs reveal Warhol as both an icon and an artistic director, but also in rare moments of vulnerability, offering an intimate view rarely seen in the pop art universe.

Today, Paul Morrissey is recognized not only for his films but also for his ability to document, through both still and moving images, a pivotal period in contemporary art. His photographs continue to be exhibited and studied as essential records of life around Warhol and the Factory.