This poster promotes The Exploding Plastic Inevitable (EPI), featuring Andy Warhol, The Velvet Underground, and Nico, at The Open Stage, located at 23 St. Marks Place in New York City. The performances ran nightly from April 1 to April 31, 1966, and the event was a hallmark of Warhol’s avant-garde multi-media show, blending music, film, dance, and experimental art. Printed on sturdy cardboard, the poster measures approximately 22 x 14 inches and was produced by the Murray Poster Printing Company in New York. The artist responsible for the design remains unknown.
The poster’s layout is both striking and straightforward, with its top section boldly declaring the venue and event timings: “Open Stage Nightly, 9 PM to 2 AM.” The middle portion highlights the central attraction, with “Andy Warhol,” “The Velvet Underground,” and “Nico” presented in bold, capitalized letters on a pink background. The tagline promises “Music! Movies! Dancing! More Movies!” emphasizing the multimedia nature of the show. Below, names of key collaborators such as Gerard Malanga and Mary Woronov are listed, underscoring their roles in the event as performers and contributors to Warhol’s creative vision.
This poster captures the raw and innovative energy of the EPI, a groundbreaking production that merged art and performance, setting the stage for multimedia events as we know them today. It is a significant artifact from The Velvet Underground’s early years, during which Warhol’s involvement brought them into the spotlight.
The minimalist yet impactful design reflects the countercultural spirit of the era, making this poster an iconic representation of one of the most influential collaborations in modern art and music history.