Rainer Crone 1972

This is a Polaroid photograph of Rainer Crone, made by Andy Warhol sometime in the 1970s or 80s. Warhol’s Polaroids feel casual, but they’re also totally staged. Think about that shiny tie – it's all about surface. Look at the way the flash bounces off Rainer’s face, that very particular lighting. It's so immediate, yet completely manufactured. The colours are both intense and somehow faded, like a memory. Warhol was obsessed with surface and repetition, so these Polaroids were often used as source material for his screenprints. At the bottom, Rainer has inscribed the photo “To Andy – XXX” then initials. It's this small gesture of friendship that personalizes the image. It reminds me of David Hockney’s Polaroids, those little snapshots of his friends, filled with affection and a real sense of intimacy. With Warhol, you get a similar sense, but it’s always filtered through his unique take on celebrity and image-making. Nothing is ever simple with Andy.