Viva, born Janet Susan Mary Hoffmann, emerged as a defining figure in the avant-garde film scene of the 1960s and 70s. Known for her striking performances, she appears in Chelsea Girls (1976), a quintessential Warhol production that captures the essence of the era's experimental cinema. Her role in The Nude Restaurant (1967) further solidified her status as a muse within the underground film community. With appearances in Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Cisco Pike (1972), Viva's work resonates with the bold exploration of sexuality and identity that characterizes cult cinema.
Chelsea Girls with Andy Warhol
In 1969 Michel Auder began a series of video diaries that chronicled the art scene in downtown New York. In Chelsea Girls with Andy Warhol, Auder captures revealing moments in Warhol's public and private life: the opening of the 1970 Whitney Museum retrospective, a party held at John Lennon and Yoko Ono's home, a heated telephone conversation between Warhol, Viva and Brigid Berlin, and an illuminating interview conducted with Larry Rivers, the grandfather of Pop Art, following the publication of The Philosophy of Andy Warhol in 1975. The issue of money is a consistent topic of conversation with Viva, who after departing the Factory in 1969 sent Warhol a series of threatening letters demanding money.
