Inspired Collaborations Celebrate Iconic Pop Artist in Exclusive Exhibition THE LOST WARHOLS

In 1982 aspiring photographer Karen Bystedt had a brilliant idea: to ask Andy Warhol if he would pose for a book-in-progress about the era's top male models. The tenacious NYU film student cold-called Warhol- already a renowned artist - at Interview Magazine which he founded and, to her surprise she says, he agreed to sit for a rare portrait session. The resulting photographs are legendary, and Warhol was the book's pièce de résistance.

Bystedt published two of the 36 photos she shot that day; all the negatives were put in storage. When she retrieved them in 2011, time and termites had taken a toll. Four agonizing months later, 10 images were carefully restored, pixel-by-pixel, and they are the foundation of the Lost Warhols collection.

In May, the Lost Warhols will come home to New York City for an exhibition in support of God's Love We Deliver, the metropolitan area's leading provider of nutritious, medically-tailored meals for clients who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves.

"Working with God's Love really resonates with me because aside from art I'm very passionate about food and its healing properties," says Karen Bystedt, Founder and Photographer of The Lost Warhols. "The art in this collection is close to my heart and having it here in New York - where Andy was a king - is something I know he would have loved."

"This is a spectacular collection that we are thrilled to help promote," says David Ludwigson, Vice President and Chief Development Officer at God's Love We Deliver. "Andy Warhol was one-of-a-kind, and God's Love is unique, too. We are very happy to be part of this month-long endeavor, showing New Yorkers what he and we are all about."

The Lost Warhols' signature piece is "Gold Andy", but the hallmark of this exhibition are its collaborations. Over the years, top pop art and street artists have superimposed their visions on reproductions of Bystedt's photographs and the results are fantastic.

The exhibition will be open on May 1-22, at 178 Sixth Avenue in SoHo. It will culminate in a gala featuring live auction. A portion of the proceeds from all sales during that event and anything sold in the weeks prior will be directed to God's Love We Deliver. www.thelostwarhols.com

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