Karen Bystedt

KAREN BYSTEDT IS AN AMERICAN VISUAL ARTIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER. SHE IS MOST WELL KNOWN FOR HER SERIES LOST WARHOLS WHERE SHE PHOTOGRAPHED THE LEGENDARY POP ICON AS A STUDENT IN NEW YORK UNIVERSITY . ALTHOUGH WARHOL RARELY TOOK THE ROLE OF MODEL, HE ACCEPTED AND DRESSED IN A TWEED PERRY ELLIS SPORT COAT AND COMBED TOUPEE OPPOSED TO HIS SIGNATURE "FRIGHT WIG". SHE TOOK 36 FRAMES OF ANDY WARHOL AND PUBLISHED TWO FOR HER BOOK ON MALE MODELS NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE. (1983) THE NEGATIVES IN THE REST OF THE SET WERE SUBSEQUENTLY LOST UNTIL 2011 WHERE SHE EXHIBITED THE LOST WARHOLS IN GROUP AND SOLO EXHIBTIONS INTERNATIONALLY INCLUDING LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK AND PORTUGAL. 

SINCE THAT DAY IN 1982, SHE HAS WORKED ON VARIOUS OTHER PROJECTS, PUBLISHING THREE OTHER BOOKS WHICH UTILIZE CANDID INTERVIEWS AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY; THE NEW BREED (1988), THEY DARED TO DREAM (2009), AND BEFORE THEY WERE FAMOUS (1992). SHE HAS ALSO COLLABORATED WITH OTHER ARTISTS LIKE CHRIS BROWN, AND IN 2014 LA WEEKLY NAMED ONE OF BYSTEDT'S MURALS IN THE TOP TEN LIST IN THE CITY.  HER WORK IS INTIMATE, CAPTIVATING, AND ONE OF A KIND.