Exploding Plastic Inevitable

The "Exploding Plastic Inevitable", sometimes simply called "Plastic Inevitable" or "EPI", was a series of multimedia events organized by Andy Warhol between 1966 and 1967, featuring musical performances by The Velvet Underground & Nico, screenings of Warhol's films, and dancing and performances by regulars of Warhol's Factory, especially Mary Woronov and Gerard Malanga. "Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable" is also the title of a 18 minute film by Ronald Nameth with recordings from one week of performances of the shows which were filmed in Chicago, Illinois in 1966. In December 1966 Warhol included a one-off underground magazine called "The Plastic Exploding Inevitable" as part of the "Aspen Magazine" No. 3 package. [http://www.ubu.com/aspen/advertisements/aspen3Ad.html "Aspen magazine", no. 3, "The Pop Art Issue"] , designed by Andy Warhol and David Dalton. Published December 1966 by Roaring Fork Press, New York City.]

The "Exploding Plastic Inevitable" had its roots in an event staged on January 13, 1966 at a dinner for the New York Society for Clinical Psychiatry. This event, called "Up-Tight", included performances by The Velvet Underground and Nico, along with Malanga and Edie Sedgwick as dancers.Branden W. Joseph, "'My Mind Split Open': Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable"; "Grey Room" 08, Summer 2002, pp. 80–107.] Inaugural shows were held at the Dom in New York City in April 1966, advertised in "The Village Voice" as follows: "The Silver Dream Factory Presents The Exploding Plastic Inevitable with Andy Warhol/The Velvet Underground/and Nico."Martin Torgoff, "Can't Find My Way Home", New York: Simon and Schuster, 2004 (ISBN 0-7432-3010-8).] Shows were also held in "The Gymnasium" in New York and in various cities throughout the United States.

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