Gerard Joseph Malanga, a multifaceted individual, has made significant contributions to the world of poetry, photography, filmmaking, curation, and archiving.
Born in the Bronx in 1943, Malanga's early life was marked by his passion for art and design. He graduated from high school with a major in Advertising Design in 1960 and subsequently enrolled in the University of Cincinnati's College of Art & Design. However, his academic pursuits were soon interrupted when he was admitted to Wagner College in Staten Island in the fall of 1961.
Malanga's life took a dramatic turn when he went to work for Andy Warhol in 1963, a job that would last for seven years. He dropped out of Wagner College in 1964, allowing him to focus on his work with Warhol full-time. During this period, Malanga worked closely with Warhol, who referred to him as "his most important associate."
Malanga's collaboration with Warhol was extensive, and he was involved in all aspects of Warhol's creative output, including silkscreen painting and filmmaking. He acted in many of Warhol's early films, including Kiss, Harlot, Soap Opera, Couch, Vinyl, Camp, and Chelsea Girls. Additionally, he co-produced Bufferin, a film featuring his poetry, which holds the record for the longest spoken-word movie at 33 minutes.
Malanga's creative contributions did not stop at filmmaking. He also choreographed the music of the Velvet Underground for Warhol's multimedia presentation, The Exploding Plastic Inevitable, in 1966. Furthermore, he was one of the founding editors of Interview magazine, along with Warhol and John Wilcock, in 1969.
Malanga's work with Warhol also led to the creation of the "Screen Tests," a series of nearly five-hundred individual 3-minute films that showcased the talents of various artists. These "post-photographs" were a testament to Malanga's innovative approach to photography and filmmaking.
In addition to his work with Warhol, Malanga has also produced twelve films of his own, showcasing his versatility as a filmmaker. His photography, spanning over four decades, has resulted in some of the most iconic portraits of post-modern photography, including Charles Olson, Iggy Pop, and William Burroughs.
Throughout his career, Malanga has photographed and archived hundreds of poets and artists, capturing their essence and contributions to the world of art. His work has been marked by a number of firsts, including his photographs of Herbert Gericke, the last farmer of Staten Island, and Jack Kerouac's typewritten roll for On the Road.
