The Silver Factory – A Radical Strategy

Andy Warhol’s factory started as ‘The Silver Factory’ due to the taste for silver foil and mirrors in New York at that time. Andy loved to combine business and art, to the extent that he used his diaries to track his expenses for tax as well as noting the patterns of his life … “Picked up Cornelia at the Waldorf (cab $6, tip doorman $5).”

As John Cale of The Velvet Underground commented: “It was not called The Factory for nothing. This was where the silkscreens were produced and at the same time somebody else was doing a screen test for a movie.” The Factory became a magnet for artists and socialites that wanted to be part of the action and the story.

The word ‘factory’ is related to manufacturing – a building where things are produced, with the use of machines and technology. This set up can become dehumanising. We can now see the genius necessary to set up mass production, and at the same time the existential challenges to maintain human connection in these environments.

As a Radical Strategy, why shouldn’t we combine aesthetics and business. Why not make a share certificate a work of Art? Why not make a board meeting more consciously dramatic? Why not include goals of elegance and beauty alongside efficiency and effectiveness? What about creating your own ‘Silver Factory’ where people just want to be part of the action?

“When bankers get together they discuss Art. When artists get together they discuss Money.”
Oscar Wilde

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