NEVER BEFORE SEEN MODELING PORTRAITS OF ANDY WARHOL DEBUT; FIRST PRINT ACQUIRED BY PRINCE OF MONACO

Los Angeles (MMD Newswire) June 25, 2012 -- On May 25th, 2012 Prince Albert II of Monaco won the bid on the first limited edition print of Karen Bystedt's "The Lost Warhols" (www.KarenBystedt.com) collection at the Amber Lounge Grand Prix Charity Fashion Event. The winning bid came in at 32,000 Euros (over $40,000 USD). Bystedt's photographs, taken at "The Factory" in New York when she was 19 years old, are some of the most unique images ever captured of the famous pop artist.

In 1982, Bystedt was a film and photography student at NYU. After seeing pop art icon Andy Warhol in a Barney's ad, she envisioned him as the ultimate male model and decided she wanted to photograph him. On a whim, Bystedt called Andy Warhol's office, known as "The Factory", and to her surprise, Andy himself picked up the phone. She told him about a book she was working on featuring the top male models in America, which she subsequently published, called "Not Just Another Pretty Face" (Plume/1983). After hearing about some of the famous male models she had in her roster, Andy was flattered and agreed to be pose for her. Andy's secret desire was to be a model. Bystedt captured Warhol as he had never been seen before, posing for the camera and becoming the subject rather than the creator. Along with her photo session, she sat down with Andy for a candid interview where they discussed everything from fashion and politics, to Andy's personal hopes, dreams, and icons. Commenting on the state of the world, Warhol told Bystedt, "In this country right now, since there's no war on, everybody's a beauty. It's really scary. They're here because they are not in the army."

Bystedt kept her Andy Warhol photographs hidden from the world until now. Their sensational debut and the acquisition of one of the first of her rare prints by The Prince of Monaco has set the stage for collectors and fans of Andy Warhol all over the world. Bystedt is offering 44" x 44" limited edition prints and 24" x 24" box sets of "The Lost Warhols" that include ten unique prints as well as a proof sheet and quote sheets from her interview with Andy.

Please visit www.KarenBystedt.com to view "The Lost Warhols" Collection.

For inquiries about the artwork, please contact Arlene Weiss at arleneweiss1@gmail.com 917 254 9057

For press inquiries regarding Karen Bystedt and "The Lost Warhols", please contact Veronica Tess at VeronicaTessPark@gmail.com 310 924 1904

About Karen Bystedt:

Karen Bystedt is a photographer and author based in Los Angeles. What sets Bystedt apart from other celebrity photographers is her unique ability to see stars before they have risen, roles before they have been played, and to support those manifesting their dreams. In 1993, Bystedt published "Before They Were Famous", a collection of intimate photographs and candid interviews with actors such as Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Sandra Bullock, Robert Downey Jr., Courtney Cox, Lawrence Fishburne, Laura Dern, Patrick Dempsey and many more. She continues to work in print, editorial and advertising in Los Angeles.

For press inquiries, please contact Veronica Tess at VeronicaTessPark@gmail.com 310 924 1904

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