Chapter 22
All the old presidents of the ball got up there, So and Chessy Patcevitch and Sharon's mother Mrs. Long and Nan and Jean Tailer and a couple of other heavy-duty ladies. They gave door prizes.
Then Bob and I went to Linda Stein's party for our agent Joan Hyler. When we got to the party one of the photographers told me, "You're the biggest one here," so that's always a letdown. Paul Morrissey was there with his two nieces and Susan Blond and Sylvia Miles, and Sylvia said, "You've got to hear my songs," and I said, "Oh yeah, I can't wait." And she said, "You don't have to-I've got them right here in my bag." So I had Linda Stein put them on the record player and they sounded good to me but there were eight different record people there and they didn't react. And then Linda came over to Paul and said, "Oh listen, I mean, you're the only person here who realized that I'm wearing emerald earrings and have Regency furniture and Lalique, and if it wasn't for you telling them, they would think it was junk. So thank thank you." you."
Legs McNeil who started Punk Punk magazine was there. magazine was there.
Wednesday, May 21, 1980 Henry Geldzahler's using the yellow and green print for the New York City poster, and he said Milton Glaser is working on it, and I hate his kind of designs. Henry was at the office for lunch so that Gerry Ayres could meet him and soak up the art world. Jerry's script that he's writing is actually called The Painter The Painter-not Painting Painting-and he's writing it for Jack Nicholson. I should tip Jack off that he should just buy the Jackson Pollock story.
Rupert Everett was there, he just got kicked out of the Blackstone and now he's at the L'Elysee, or vice versa. Henry had his new lover with him that he'd picked up from NYU, and he was having me take pictures of them kissing. He's going out to California soon to see his old boyfriend Raymond who's out there posing for David Hockney-Raymond takes planes just to go pose. At the end of the lunch Henry said to Gerry Ayres, "But what's the painter going to paint? I mean, that's that's the story, so what's it going to be?" the story, so what's it going to be?"
Cabbed uptown ($4.50) to glue and then walked to Sharon Hammond's. I was met at the door by Tony Curtis's wife, Leslie, who was staying with Sharon, she was really looped. She said she was a rich society girl from Boston and how could she marry an actor and a Jew. Sharon was in the bathroom. Her boyfriend Lord Sondes had just left town and they'd been eating all the time, and this was Sharon's first time in the John after all the food, and Leslie said she'd walked in on her doing her grunts. And then Sharon's so meticulous with her makeup that it takes forever, too. Sharon was surprised when I said I would have a vodka. She has big t.i.ts.
I'd brought a copy of Popism Popism to give to Marty Bregman who we were seeing later because I thought he might be interested in producing a movie of it, but of course I had to give it to Leslie. Cabbed to East 57th Street ($3) to Marty Bregman and Cornelia Sharpe's apartment. We went up to the penthouse. It was one of those funny parties with aging girls and sort of funny people. I guess people there were somebodies, but stars today look so mousy you just don't notice them. For half an hour I didn't notice Al Pacino sitting in the corner. to give to Marty Bregman who we were seeing later because I thought he might be interested in producing a movie of it, but of course I had to give it to Leslie. Cabbed to East 57th Street ($3) to Marty Bregman and Cornelia Sharpe's apartment. We went up to the penthouse. It was one of those funny parties with aging girls and sort of funny people. I guess people there were somebodies, but stars today look so mousy you just don't notice them. For half an hour I didn't notice Al Pacino sitting in the corner.
I wasn't letting Sharon eat because she'd gained weight. I introduced her to Al Pacino, and so she liked that. He said, "Hi, Andy." Leslie picked up a guy with big hands. He was a hometown friend of Cornelia's and she said, "Don't worry"-(laughs)-"she's in good hands." Cornelia looked fat. And Alan Alda was there with this lady with dark circles and it turned out to be his wife. She looked like Anna Magnani. She's not the wife you'd think he would have, but she looked nice-I'm sure she must be if they're still married. We rode down in the elevator with them. We left Leslie with a stiff drink in her hand. Dropped Sharon ($3).
Thursday, May 22, 1980 A tall skinny j.a.panese boy came to interview me, and he was cute, he was so nervous, just shaking, he said he was meeting the star of his life. He's from Studio Voice Studio Voice, the j.a.panese Interview Interview. He brought me a T-s.h.i.+rt.
I was reworking Lynn Wyatt's portrait. Sent flowers to Sharon Hammond and Cornelia Sharpe.
Gael Malkenson said she's getting married this Sat.u.r.day. In a Catholic church. But she always says things that I don't know if they're true. Worked till 7:00. A kooky girl followed me to Park Avenue when I left, she was like one of those kooky girls you meet when you first come to New York. Dropped Rupert ($4) and got home around 8:00.
I looked through my things for something for Marisol for her birthday and finally decided to give her a little painting, but when I went to pick Victor up he wanted it, so I gave it to him. We went down to Chanterelle in Soho, that restaurant that everybody raves about and says how small it is and how hard to get into. Well, it wasn't so small, it looked big, really. And the food was just okay, it wasn't so hot. Marisol kept saying this was the first party she ever gave, and Halston a.s.sured her it was really great. The first person I talked to was Ruth Kligman, and she's now a born-again Christian. And she was different. Very nice and calm, but then I began telling her about Gerry Ayres's movie The Painter The Painter that he was writing for Jack Nicholson, and then she was more like her old nervous self. She said, "Should-do you think I should call Jack?" and "Do you think my lawyer should call Gerry Ayres?" and I said, "It's only a fiction thing he's writing! Relax. After he does that, artists' stories will be more popular and you can really sell your book that he was writing for Jack Nicholson, and then she was more like her old nervous self. She said, "Should-do you think I should call Jack?" and "Do you think my lawyer should call Gerry Ayres?" and I said, "It's only a fiction thing he's writing! Relax. After he does that, artists' stories will be more popular and you can really sell your book Love Affair Love Affair for a movie." Ruth said maybe she could get Nick Nolte to play Jackson Pollock. And she explained that when you're born-again you just get a clean slate wipeout, that nothing you did before counts. So it's just like confession, that's all it is except you can go to confession every day and I guess you can only be born again once. for a movie." Ruth said maybe she could get Nick Nolte to play Jackson Pollock. And she explained that when you're born-again you just get a clean slate wipeout, that nothing you did before counts. So it's just like confession, that's all it is except you can go to confession every day and I guess you can only be born again once.
John Cage was there and Merce Cunningham and Louise Nevelson who came at the end of the dinner but had a special place saved for her. George Segal and his wife. Joe Brainard. It was nice to see him again after all these years, but I didn't get to talk to him much, really.
Marisol looks good for fifty. She made the birthday cake in the afternoon and it was really just beautiful-beautiful marzipan figures, beautiful beautiful figures f.u.c.king, and she gave me one and Halston one and they were like little jewels.
We told Marisol she shouldn't tell her age because people would never know and she said she thought they already knew because it's always in all the catalogues and I told her people don't read the catalogues, and she said (laughs) (laughs) well that then only the forty people or so that were there at dinner would know. well that then only the forty people or so that were there at dinner would know.
Friday, May 23, 1980 I forgot to say the most important person at Marisol's dinner, he sat next to her-Edward Albee. He was tight-lipped, but I tried to get him to loosen up and talk, but nothing really happened. He said he read where I'd said his last play, the one with Irene Worth, was "the best play I've ever seen," and he thanked me. I guess I said it to one of the papers. I told him he should write Marisol a play for her birthday.
Lunch at the office was supposed to be for Lewis Allen, but he forgot about it. It was going to be a lunch for him to sign the play contracts, but he had a play opening the night before and got tired and forgot, he said he'd sign on Tuesday.
Monday, May 26, 1980 Memorial Day. No traffic around. Went to the office. Worked on about six or seven portraits.
Curley was back from his brother's wedding. And did I say that the other day Senator Kennedy called me at the office and I couldn't get him off the phone and I didn't know what to talk to him about. I guess he didn't have anything to do. But Fred was explaining why he's stayed in the race-to raise money for the Democratic pot. His Smith sister called me the other day but I didn't take the call, I knew it'd be to want me to give a donation for something.
Did I remember to say that at the Empire Strikes Back Empire Strikes Back movie there was a black kid about fifteen or sixteen sucking his thumb in the row ahead of me with his parents? I don't think he was r.e.t.a.r.ded. He didn't look r.e.t.a.r.ded. movie there was a black kid about fifteen or sixteen sucking his thumb in the row ahead of me with his parents? I don't think he was r.e.t.a.r.ded. He didn't look r.e.t.a.r.ded.
Tuesday, May 27, 1980 Lewis Allen came by and he wants to do the play, Evening with Andy Warhol Evening with Andy Warhol, with a dummy of me on stage saying dialogue based on the Philosophy Philosophy book and book and Exposures Exposures.
Friday, May 30, 1980 Stayed uptown because I had to meet Nicola Bulgari at 12:30 with Bob. After we saw the jewel collection he took us to the Knickerbocker Club which was really great. It's across from where the Dodge house was that's now torn down. The food was great there, mashed potatoes and rice pudding and eggs. Bulgari was saying things like "Hide the tape" and "They won't let you do that if they see that," and he was acting like "this isn't that kind of a place, it's too high-cla.s.s." Like he didn't want to get voted out. It was too corny. After lunch we went into another room for an hour. I don't know why, he just wanted to blabber. He's (laughs) (laughs) against Communism. against Communism.
Sat.u.r.day, May 31, 1980 I was working at home. I watched a good old movie about skating with d.i.c.k Powell. It wasn't really about skating but it had everybody skating. It was so cute, it looked just like the Roxy. Skating was so big in the early forties, I guess, but then it died out in the fifties-no, in the sixties, I guess. Everything Everything died out in the sixties. died out in the sixties.
Monday, June 2, 1980 Rupert called and said that it was raining down at his place so he couldn't bring the prints out, but it wasn't raining where I was so I didn't know whether to believe him. I had an appointment to meet Richard Gere for lunch (cab $5.10).
Barbara Allen was the first to arrive, and then Richard Gere and Silvinha, and the wife of Taki Theodoracopulos that he isn't really married to yet. Barbara's trying to arrange a surprise wedding for Taki-have him come over and have a justice of the peace there to marry them. But I thought that Barbara was going with Taki, having an affair with him, so I don't know how she got to be such good friends with his girlfriend. Oh, and also at the lunch was the psychedelic artist, Mati Klarwein.
The j.a.panese guy from Studio Voice Studio Voice was there, and he really is just crazy about me. He wanted me to give him a new name, so I gave him "Chuck Roast." was there, and he really is just crazy about me. He wanted me to give him a new name, so I gave him "Chuck Roast."
Went to Cote Basque for dinner. I was meeting the commissioner there, because I had to talk to him about doing more posters for the city, more ideas. I had a lot of ideas, but they weren't (laughs) (laughs) so good. They sounded better when we were drunk-like a gold pencil sharpener. I think it's been done already. And Brooke Hayward was at Cote Basque with Philip Johnson. We stayed a little bit talking to her and n.o.body brought up the terrible TV movie of her so good. They sounded better when we were drunk-like a gold pencil sharpener. I think it's been done already. And Brooke Hayward was at Cote Basque with Philip Johnson. We stayed a little bit talking to her and n.o.body brought up the terrible TV movie of her Haywire Haywire book. book.
Sean McKeon came down. He's a Wilhemina model.
Wednesday, June 4, 1980-New York-Houston We got to Lynn Wyatt's house, fifty people for dinner, and she had cream of crab soup and then barbecued filet mignon that'd been marinated for twenty-four hours and hot curried fruit and homemade Rice-a-Roni which Joan Quinn who was there said was Armenian-style. And creamed spinach and then this great dessert which was fruit ice cream piled onto a big meringue. And the dinner was for Diane Von Furstenberg and Barry Diller. There were all these crazy people from Dallas and Fort Worth. They were really rich with big rocks and they were really vulgar and funny. Divorced and out for kicks.
And then after dinner we went into the living room and everyone loved Lynn's portrait. Diane said she loved it so much that she wanted me to do her kids' portraits, but I know she doesn't mean it. And then John Travolta arrived with thirty people. He was going to come to dinner but he wanted to bring thirty people so Lynn had said no. And he's so good-looking. He had on a black silk s.h.i.+rt and a bright green linen jacket and black pants, and his eyes are so blue. He was with this cute little girl and a lot of bodyguards, and with Jim Bridges, who directed Urban Cowboy Urban Cowboy. And then there was Debra Winger who's the female star of the movie, and she's great, we want to do something with her. She told me about high colonics and that she's full of s.h.i.+t. Her family was there, and her boyfriend. He was cute, Jewish.
And Barbara Allen and Jerry Hall were making fun of ladies with jewels right in front of their faces. And Maxime Mesinger the gossip columnist came with John Travolta, too, and she gave him a dinner first. Then we got a ride with Barry and Diane. Barry got mad because Jerry and her sister Cyndy and Fred were so drunk they wouldn't let him out of the car at his hotel, and he wasn't in that good a mood anyway, that's just how Barry is. He told Jerry to shut up and she got really hurt. And Fred was pretending to stick his finger up Jerry and her sister and then sticking it in everybody's noses.
Thursday, June 5, 1980-Houston We all went to the Cadillac Bar for lunch which has really good Mexican food. And I was sitting with this crowd from Dallas-Fort Worth.
I met Travolta at lunch again. Got an autograph on a napkin.
They all have these big Jerry Hall accents. And they all love Jerry because they can talk real Texas with her. We had frogs' legs and beef and chicken and shrimps, everything barbecued and chilied and guacamoled. And it was so hot out, it was like ninety-five degrees. And the air-conditioning broke down and the Texans say, "Turn up the AC! Maybe you need some freon, Charlie." And then we went to a few Western shops to get our costumes for the Urban Cowboy Urban Cowboy premiere. premiere.
We finally got back to the hotel around 5:00. Everyone met in my room. Jerry was wearing a solid gold and rhinestone skintight cowboy suit with matching hat that George Hamilton gave her that he had worn in the Hank Williams movie, and she said that Alana wanted it so badly and he never would give it to her and so not to tell Alana.
Then we got into a limo and went to the Gay Lynn theater, it was named after Lynn Wyatt. And there were thousands of paparazzi and fans because they'd never had a world premiere in Houston before. And they were screaming, "Andy! Andy! Andy Warhol!" And Jerry and I were posing for pictures. And then Jerry and Lynn Wyatt were standing in front of the theater with the TV crew
And Diane Von Furstenberg was walking up and down the aisles like she owned the place. She was wearing tight pants and a little top and a vest with a little sheriff's badge that said "Disco Sucks." And then she was wearing two tons of diamond and gold jewelry from the forties. And Barry Diller was sitting right behind us, and then in walks John Travolta with a thousand people around him, and he sat down right behind us, and everyone was going crazy with the photographers and stuff, and we were all jumping in with our cameras. And then the movie started and everyone loved it.
Afterwards we took our limo to Gilley's where they shot the movie. We left one second early so we got there before the mob (tip $20 to the driver).
There was a mob scene around where Barry Diller and I were sitting because John Travolta sat down two inches away. His eyes are just like-dyed-blue-green. I mean, really deep blue. And he has the most beautiful smile. His teeth must be polished every day. And his skin is beautiful. And he's so nice. And he says nice things to everyone. And he was talking the most to this girl he thought was with us, but she was a DVF groupie. And Diane is so desperate to be recognized that if one person says, "You're Diane Von Furstenberg, I love you," she says, "Come with me," and she makes them follow her around for the rest of the night so that she can have a following, and then she gives them presents-she carries lipsticks and compacts with her to give out, and she autographs them.
And, well, once Travolta was at our table it became really impossible because the crowd just pushed in on us, and this policeman was standing right behind trying to protect us, and he was drunk, the policeman, and I said, "Don't look now, Bob, but you have a big gun and a big c.o.c.k one inch from your neck." And the policeman said, "Can I do anything for you?" and Bob laughed and said, "Just stay right here." And he did. And he had two guns in his holster, very good-looking, and he kept hugging us and b.u.mping into us and rubbing his c.o.c.k against us and saying, "Is there anything you need, anything you want?" But he was great because he kept screaming to the waitress and got all this food for us. The whole table. And all these drinks, and beer. And he said, "You're not eating your pepper," to Bob, and Bob said, "Are you kidding? It's so hot, I only took one bite," and he said, "Well, I'll just show you how to eat a pepper," and he took the whole big thing and slipped it in his mouth and ate it and then winked at Bob.
I was the second biggest star after John Travolta. But a distant second. He got the most fans after him. They were screaming on the stage that everyone was going to have to leave if they didn't let John Travolta have some room.
Got home around 1:00. Started to read Princess Daisy Princess Daisy, it's an awful book, but they mention me in it, so it's something for the box. It said Daisy was too chic to go to an Andy Warhol party in London.
Sat.u.r.day, June 21, 1980-New York A lady from Arizona-someone Edmund Gaultney had arranged-was coming to the office about a portrait (cab $5). She turned out to be a beautiful girl and she brought her one-year-old baby. The baby gave us a really hard time. Babies are so hard to photograph, they never sit still and they're teething or something so they're scrunching up their mouths and they're so cranky and I just hate them. Then Edmund called from Arizona and said that we should do the baby alone, but by then it was over-I'd only done the baby with the mother and the mother alone.
Dropped Rupert ($5). I glued myself and went to meet Alan Wanzenberg and Stephen Webster, friends of Jed's. We went to Inagiku. I've been having too much wine lately so I stuck to Perrier and had some raw fish. Alan's an architect working for I.M. Pei. And the other kid's a lawyer and I gave him the job of contesting our tax a.s.sessment because the taxes went from $400 to $12,000 when they combined both Bowery buildings together which they had no right to do, and the place is just a dump so I don't know why it's that high.
Then we went for a nightcap at Trader Vic's ($25). The headwaiter invited me to his sculpture exhibition next week. Got home about 1:30.
Sunday, June 22, 1980 Went to church. Went to meet Rupert and got a lot of work done. Redid some paintings-the church in Cologne, the castle in Bonn, a couple of Germans.
Thomas Ammann called. He asked me if I wanted to have a business dinner and I said good idea. I worked all afternoon. All the clones were filing into the Underground. They all have mustaches, alligator T-s.h.i.+rts, bluejeans, or the other look is leather pants and jackets and sungla.s.ses.
Barbara Allen called for who was around and available for what. I told her Thomas Amman was in town and so she called him and got invited to dinner.
Cabbed to Mr. Chow's ($4). We were kind of late and Thomas was mad at us. Ran into Rita Lachman on the way in with her ghostwriter for The Rita Lachman Story The Rita Lachman Story. They sat next to us. Alan Wanzenberg the architect and Stephen Webster the lawyer were there, and Barbara and Fred and Jed and some other girl. Barbara sat next to me and I kept telling her to bring Bill Paley down for a portrait. Then I happened to mention that Truman said he was writing a piece on Babe Paley, and then Barbara said she wanted to read it to make sure that it wouldn't offend Mr. Paley. She's so ridiculous. She said Mr. Paley gave her something, something really great, but she wouldn't say what-she had each of us confess something, and after we did, she still wouldn't tell us. She had a whole bottle of sake to herself. She said she's madly in love with Mr. Paley, that he's the only man she loves. But then she was falling for Thomas because she knows Bianca's so hot for him.
Monday, June 23, 1980 Got up at 8:00 and watched the Today Show Today Show. The new girl is too pretty, I like Jane Pauley better. She's off getting married to the "Doonesbury" Trudeau guy who won a portrait by me in a society contest and we kept stalling him and finally he came up and he wore a hat and scarf and I just did a little nothing portrait because I didn't realize who he was.
And I screamed at Ronnie because he got three forty-five-minute phone calls.
Tuesday, June 24, 1980 What's happening with Richard Pryor? Are the burns getting better or worse?
Worked till 6:30. Fred went up by subway to the Mitzi Newhouse Theater where Bob Wilson's play was opening. Curious George Curious George. When I got to the theater Fred was there waiting with Katy Jones and her sister. The art-world people were there. The play had water coming from the ceiling, clocks on the walls telling you what time it was and striking. It was colored beautifully, the set's by Bob Wilson. It took at least two hours and then it was over.
The party afterwards was at Leo Castelli's. We were the first ones there. The food was good but Chris Makos said I looked fat, and then I looked over at Fred who never eats and stays looking so good, so I just had one cuc.u.mber and water, and I mixed and mingled.
The Knowles boy, the star of the play, sounds so normal when you talk to him, you wouldn't know he's autistic. He answers whatever question you ask, but I guess the problem is he never says anything if you don't ask him. I talked to Jennifer Jakobson about Mr. Ballato dying. He was in his eighties. He worked at the restaurant till the last minute, he loved the business so much.
Fred tried to get Katy Jones to leave but she's after Bob Wilson so she didn't want to. We all waited for Bob Wilson so we could go in his limo. Richard Weisman was there with Patti LuPone and she was thrilled when I introduced her to Bob Wilson. She got a Tony, and she was asking me what she should do with her career and I told her to hang on and stay with Evita Evita for as long as she could because she was the only big star on Broadway and she would become so huge from it. She said yes, that I was right. for as long as she could because she was the only big star on Broadway and she would become so huge from it. She said yes, that I was right.
Bob Wilson kept going to the bathroom a lot and coming back depressed. He dropped me and Katy. And as I was getting out of the car he was saying things like, "Take hold of my hand." And afterwards I pieced it together, that when he was saying words like, "Do you think-do you think-" that he was wanting to know if I thought he was using Christopher Knowles, exploiting him by starring him in plays because he's autistic. Got home at 2:00.
Wednesday, June 25, 1980 A creep who kept writing me letters came up and Vincent told him I was doing an interview but he refused to leave, so I mean I knew right away that he was a creep because normal people don't do that, insist. Right? I was giving an interview to the Miami Star Miami Star.
Chris Makos called from his darkroom. I want to go around town with him taking pictures. n.o.body's done 42nd Street and the Statue of Liberty in a while.
Then, when we were leaving the office and we'd locked the elevator and we were getting ready to leave, as I was walking by the middle room the creepy kid who'd come up earlier jumped out from behind a crate. I mean, that's why I always tell Vincent to check around, because people can really hide behind things. And later Adam Robinson from Oxford who'd stopped by and who was still with us said that he'd seen the box move, but hadn't told me. So this kid was hiding behind the box while I was giving the interview to the Miami paper. He said it was "Performance Art." I mean, I could tell he was a creep from the beginning. Somehow Vincent got him out, but I was really rattled. We left, and I dropped Rupert at 7:30 ($5). When we were crossing the street to get the cab, Rupert and me, a cab stopped and it was Hiram Keller waving and I had to go kiss him in the cab and he looked absolutely beautiful, like the day we met him, gorgeous and full of life, and I just can't believe he never became a big star after Satyricon Satyricon. Is it because there's so many beauties now?
A kid I know from Studio 54 called me up and at first I wasn't going to take the call but he said he'd had a breakdown in California and that I was the only one he was calling, so I did. He's going back out to California.
When I got home I was still tense from the intruder so I had a brandy. And that led to the candy drawer, and that led to the TV all night. I watched the Mother and Daughter Beauty Pageant Mother and Daughter Beauty Pageant on TV. And a rerun of Farrah Fawcett. on TV. And a rerun of Farrah Fawcett.
Bob Wilson's play got terrible reviews. And I was watching a rerun of Carol Burnett and those people were just so good, so talented, so funny. I mean, Bob Wilson has an autistic kid and does a few imaginative things, but that's all. I mean it's like when you see Carol Burnett you think how nothing a thing like Bob Wilson's is.
Thursday, June 26, 1980 There were some interesting things to look at at the P-B 84 Warehouse on 91st Street (cab $4). Met Stuart Pivar there and saw a lot of paintings. A Liz was sitting there, and there was a Pollock, too. They told me this one painting was by the "boyfriend of Seurat," but I didn't know Seurat had a boyfriend. The guys there all wanted my autograph, so I did them.
The new issue of the magazine arrived and G.o.dunov looks good on the cover but he looks like a Christopher Street person, I don't know if it'll sell.
Steve Rubell called Barbara Allen and John Bowes-Lyons and then said he was being moved to Atlanta.
And Joe Dallesandro called Fred for money-I guess he wants to be supported for life-and I screamed at Fred, I told him to tell Joe to ask Paul Paul. Joe wants money just so that he can sit around, I guess, and drink a bottle of Jack Daniel's a day.
And Vicky Leac.o.c.k came by. She's Ricky Leac.o.c.k's daughter. She said that her mother had just died-her mother was a model in the fifties-and that she was going up to Boston to stay with her father. She just came by because she was sort of upset. Her mother's kidneys weren't functioning well and Vicky took her to New York Hospital and the people there were awful-they were arguing with each other and while they were bickering Vicky looked and saw that her mother's eyes were open and staring, and she told the doctor and he said, "She's dozed off," and Vicky tried to revive her and then they tried but they couldn't. Vicky just stayed at the office a few minutes and then she left.
Friday, June 27, 1980 We went to John Addison's new club, Bonds, the huge clothes store on Broadway that they turned into a disco. We looked around for him but the place is huge and we didn't see him. It was free, but I tipped the waiter ($20). The stairs are musical. It's very beautiful.
Sat.u.r.day, June 28, 1980 I called Bob to see if the interview with Paloma Pica.s.so was on-it was, Lester Persky was going to do it at Quo Vadis. And Paloma really likes Patti LuPone, so we called to see if there was still a table for us at her show at Les Mouches.
I walked over to Quo Vadis. I was there first, then Bob arrived, then Lester and Paloma. I was on my diet so I just had melon and arugula, but the chicken that Bob and Paloma split looked good. What do restaurants do with the meat that's left like on the backbone? Do they throw it out or do they use it to make hash?
Lester interviewed Paloma and she's great, she just tells everything. And she said that we could do the end portion of the interview at the MOMA Pica.s.so exhibit with her and she'll talk while we walk through. After dinner we went to Un Deux Trois, the place on 44th Street that's supposed to be like La Coupole.
Then it was too early to go to Bonds. So we went to Les Mouches. And they made Bob pay. Bob still hated Patti LuPone, but not quite as much. If she had come over and said, "Oh Bob, you're the editor of Interview Interview I love I love Intervieni" Intervieni" he would have loved her. I'm the same way, though, I guess. And Ron Duguay was there. At first he wasn't interested in Patti-these athletes all just like the same blonde types all the time-but I told him, "She really wants you and she's great." And afterwards she came and sat with him. Patti's funny, she does these sophisticated songs and then she gets nervous so she sticks out her tongue like Donald Duck or something. I like her, I think she's great. he would have loved her. I'm the same way, though, I guess. And Ron Duguay was there. At first he wasn't interested in Patti-these athletes all just like the same blonde types all the time-but I told him, "She really wants you and she's great." And afterwards she came and sat with him. Patti's funny, she does these sophisticated songs and then she gets nervous so she sticks out her tongue like Donald Duck or something. I like her, I think she's great.
Monday, June 30, 1980 A little man from Munich arrived at 4:00 to see his portrait and he was startled when he saw it, it had so much character. Because Fred's been telling me not to take out the wrinkles and everything too much on these old people, that it's nice to leave some in. So the man from Munich had red veins but I made them black, and I gave him bright clothes colors whereas he underplays his clothes. I made his daughter really beautiful, though, really elegant. And Fred was really nervous when the man was looking at them because he felt responsible for the look. The guy was cute, though, really nice.
Stephen Mueller and Ronnie were there, stretching. Robyn was trying to sell a portfolio to two ladies he'd picked up the night before and he sold one print at a discount and he was thrilled. I was at the office till 7:00.
Cabbed ($2.10) to 76th Street and Fifth to Leonard Stern's. He's the Hartz-Mountain guy. He just got the house and it wasn't air-conditioned, and it was odd meeting him at 8:00 because it wasn't for dinner, although we'd thought it was going to be. He wants two very big Flower paintings for two walls and he wants them by September 16th because he's having a party then. He just left his wife. She's keeping the house on Park in the 70s which he renovated eight years ago. It was embarra.s.sing because I called him Mr. Stein and Fred called him Mr. Stein, too. When he was finished with us we went around the corner and decided to stop in at Barbara Allen's on 77th Street. She had Whitney Tower there and he's put on weight, he's trying to be not so skinny and crazy because he wants his grandmother who's a Whitney to give him some dough. You know these rich kids go and say, "Oh Granny darling, it costs money to get married and have children and do all the things you'd like to see me do."
Tuesday, July 1, 1980 Got up early in the morning in order to meet Bob in order to meet Paloma and Lester at MOMA (cab $3). We went around the exhibit with Paloma, she was talking and Lester was being funny, and it was exhausting, it's three floors. A guy in a wheelchair asked me for my autograph, and I said, "Don't you want Paloma Pica.s.so's?" Pica.s.so's?" And he said yes, so Paloma signed and then I signed and then we had to leave because Paloma had to get back to Tiffany's where they sell her jewelry. And he said yes, so Paloma signed and then I signed and then we had to leave because Paloma had to get back to Tiffany's where they sell her jewelry.
Old Mrs. Newhouse came to see the portraits of her husband, but her son was with her and he fell in love with the diamond-dust ones.
Oh, and David Whitney came by, we're talking to him about maybe redoing the Jewish Museum show and I'm doing a portrait of him because he's been so nice. He brought his tux, he really looked cute in it. He invited me to Thursday dinner with Philip Johnson, he said he'll send a car for me, that anyone as big as I am should have a car-he was being funny.
Brigid went on a candy binge. She said she was going out for cigarettes but Robyn noticed that she took more money than she'd need for cigarettes, so when she got back I said, "I see chocolate on your mouth." I didn't really see any, but that worked and she admitted she'd had ice cream.
Glued myself together and went to Cote Basque to help Suzie Frankfurt celebrate-she just got almost a million for her house and she bought a cheaper one. Mr. and Mrs. Law arrived. I think Mrs. Law is Standard Oil rich and I don't know exactly what her husband does, maybe he invests her money. That's what usually happens when you marry a rich woman. Or maybe he's rich himself, who knows. She wants me to retouch her portrait because now she's made her hair lighter. It'll probably turn out to be one of those "living portraits" where I have to to keep doing things to it.
We went over to Bonds. And John Samuels was there and he's so mean to me now. I think he tries tries to be nice, but he can't help himself, he says mean things. I'll have to ask him why. We were there for a few minutes. Mr. Law was dancing around and his wife said that he would get a heart attack. Oh, and Bob was there and he looked so sour. He feels he can't have fun unless he has a drink. And he and Fred are the same-if there's no princes, they look so bored. to be nice, but he can't help himself, he says mean things. I'll have to ask him why. We were there for a few minutes. Mr. Law was dancing around and his wife said that he would get a heart attack. Oh, and Bob was there and he looked so sour. He feels he can't have fun unless he has a drink. And he and Fred are the same-if there's no princes, they look so bored.
Thursday, July 3, 1980 Was picked up by Philip Johnson and David Whitney to go to La Cote Basque. They had martinis and so I did, too. Philip's doing the new AT&T building at 56th on Madison. After dinner we went up to the apartment where David and Philip are living on Fifth, opposite the Met, the one that Philip did the front of. And Philip and David are unhappy with their apartment-it's small, there's no room for paintings, but they have my Cows in the bedroom and twenty Jasper Johns prints up. I like the apartment, it's neat and orderly. David's really good about throwing things out-if he buys five new s.h.i.+rts he throws five old ones away. And their places always have nothing in them, no knick-knacks, no flowers, no food in the refrigerator. Oh, but I did see some underwear on a chair, and I was going to say something about it because it was the first time I've ever seen a piece of clutter in their apartment. Their limo dropped us.
Friday, July 4, 1980 Cab to meet Debbie Harry at 7:30 at her and Chris Stein's apartment at 200 West 58th Street. The penthouse. It took an hour to get there because everybody was merging into Central Park for the fireworks later at 9:00. The traffic was really bad (cab $4). When we got there Chris and Victor Bockris had their tapes on. Debbie has beautiful eyes.
Debbie had worked all day trying to find an interesting place to have dinner, and (laughs) (laughs) she did. We went up to 119th Street and Morningside Drive to that restaurant with the big view. The food was as good as La Cote Basque. I don't know how people up there can afford it, though, because it's so expensive. Maybe doctors and professors. she did. We went up to 119th Street and Morningside Drive to that restaurant with the big view. The food was as good as La Cote Basque. I don't know how people up there can afford it, though, because it's so expensive. Maybe doctors and professors.
But first we had drinks at Debbie's. She's gotten really rich from the Vanderbilt jeans ad and they're going to buy a building. Chris wants to rent an apartment on the Lower East Side to give interviews in because they don't want to spoil their low-life image, and Debbie will have to give interviews there, too. I think he's really going to do it. But if you saw their apartment-and he's saying he doesn't want people to know how (laughs) well (laughs) well they live. It's so junky. It seems like one room made into eighteen rooms. Maybe it used to be a storage floor. There are at least 100 gold records on the wall, I don't know why there's so many-oh, maybe duplicates, I guess. But there's a good doorman. they live. It's so junky. It seems like one room made into eighteen rooms. Maybe it used to be a storage floor. There are at least 100 gold records on the wall, I don't know why there's so many-oh, maybe duplicates, I guess. But there's a good doorman.
Sat.u.r.day, July 5, 1980 Had an appointment to meet Rupert. n.o.body was in town so it was an easy cab ride ($4.50). I was doing Flower paintings again and it was so sweltering and I got a funny feeling, like a flashback to 1964 because it was the same Flowers and the same heat and the same mood as when I first made them that summer. I asked Rupert how it felt to see me painting these famous sixties images. He said it didn't feel like anything. But to me it did. These are a commission. I'll do something different with them, though-maybe put diamond dust on them.
John Reinhold called and invited me to see his apartment that Michael Graves just did. It was raining like crazy. Henry Geldzahler was meeting us for dinner at a place called Pet.i.t Robert, which sounded familiar, but I didn't want to think about it. It turned out that it was the restaurant of Robert Biret who I've known since 1948. He gave me work at Glamour Glamour and Bonwit Teller and he was my best friend, we used to have dinner together in the fifties. I met Halston for the first time at his house. Then Robert left New York and went to Paris. This place is way over on 11th Street. I talked mostly to Robert, he looks pretty good. We talked about our mothers. I think his went back to France. There was a lot of garlic in the food. I ate cooked beef with garlic and later I was sorry, I could feel it in the morning, still. and Bonwit Teller and he was my best friend, we used to have dinner together in the fifties. I met Halston for the first time at his house. Then Robert left New York and went to Paris. This place is way over on 11th Street. I talked mostly to Robert, he looks pretty good. We talked about our mothers. I think his went back to France. There was a lot of garlic in the food. I ate cooked beef with garlic and later I was sorry, I could feel it in the morning, still.
Sunday, July 6, 1980 I got up and was trying to avoid Tom Sullivan's calls. He's been making up stories about friends being in the hospital and needing a few dollars so I think he's out of money. I think he maybe spent everything he had on Cocaine Cowboys Cocaine Cowboys. I mean, if he only had a couple of million it wouldn't've lasted him long the way he was living so high on the hog, traveling every minute.
I glued myself and went to Mt. Sinai to visit Sandy Brant who's expecting triplets, 101st and Fifth. Cabbed ($3) up Madison and it seems like they're reclaiming some of the blocks as white. They're putting up tall buildings and the whites are slowly moving uptown. They're selling apartments there for a couple of hundred thousand now.
We weren't going to tell Sandy about the fire at their stable in Greenwich that destroyed the stable and nine horses, but she told us us about it. They think it might have been set. There's a guard there twenty-four hours a day now. They didn't have a sprinkler system. We were there about forty-five minutes, till 9:00. Then worked at home. No phone calls. I watched the all-day news on Ted Turner's station. about it. They think it might have been set. There's a guard there twenty-four hours a day now. They didn't have a sprinkler system. We were there about forty-five minutes, till 9:00. Then worked at home. No phone calls. I watched the all-day news on Ted Turner's station.
The weather changed and was cool and windy and beautiful, my hair was flying all over. Fred went out to Manha.s.set with the Paysons for a big house party that Averil was giving for the Fourth of July weekend at Greentree.
Wednesday, July 9, 1980-Paris Went to Castel's for dinner and we sat downstairs and we ran into Jean, the boyfriend of Clara Sant, and Clara told Fred that her boyfriend had had a bad time at our studio in New York because we didn't pay much attention to him. He didn't understand that that was our style, that everybody everybody gets ignored, but then I was sorry we didn't really make an effort, like have a lot of beautiful girls and interesting people for him, because when people are really nice to us in Europe we should pay them back in New York. I paid for dinner, and it was expensive ($400). gets ignored, but then I was sorry we didn't really make an effort, like have a lot of beautiful girls and interesting people for him, because when people are really nice to us in Europe we should pay them back in New York. I paid for dinner, and it was expensive ($400).
Thursday, July 10, 1980-Paris-Monte Carlo I didn't sleep a wink that night because we left Fred drinking at Castel's and I knew he wouldn't be able to get us up in the morning so I had two cups of coffee. And then about 6:00 I heard fumbling at the door and it was Fred trying to get his keys into the lock and it took him half an hour to make it in, and I was going to get up and tell him off but I was in a stupor.
It was raining, horrible and grey and cold, really freezing. We were going to Monte Carlo for the joint show of Jamie Wyeth and me. Finally we got there and it was sunny and beautiful. And the first people we ran into were Pam Combemale-her unmarried name is Woolworth-and Jamie Wyeth, they had just come in on the Concorde. And they'd lost Jamie's clothes and Phyllis's luggage, so she had nothing to wear.
Went down to the lobby at 6:00 and saw the exhibition, they were putting it together. I did an interview for Time Time magazine, and then we went to this restaurant that looks just like Trader Vic's, called Mona's. The Portanovas were there, and Liz Smith and Iris Love, and the La.r.s.ens, and there was a lot of dancing going on and Jamie was so great, he was dancing with Phyllis and I was drunk so I went over to them and I fell down. With them. And then I was dancing with everybody else-all the girls-and it was a new thing for me. I'd had two vodkas, and that must have set me off. magazine, and then we went to this restaurant that looks just like Trader Vic's, called Mona's. The Portanovas were there, and Liz Smith and Iris Love, and the La.r.s.ens, and there was a lot of dancing going on and Jamie was so great, he was dancing with Phyllis and I was drunk so I went over to them and I fell down. With them. And then I was dancing with everybody else-all the girls-and it was a new thing for me. I'd had two vodkas, and that must have set me off.
Jamie's so much fun because he's a troublemaker. He's always saying mean things about people-like he said this one lady's pockmarks made her face look like a used dartboard. He just goes right down the line tearing everybody apart, he's very funny.
Friday, July 11, 1980-Monte Carlo We picked up Jamie and Phyllis and I apologized to Phyllis for pus.h.i.+ng her over the night before. I told her she and Jamie were dancing so beautifully that I got jealous. When I started to dance with Phyllis I didn't know that she can't go backwards so I fell on her and then Jamie fell on her, and we were all caught by somebody but it was just too nutty. So I apologized and we all got in the car and went out to Cap Ferrat to see Lynn Wyatt who now has Somerset Maugham's old house, the Villa Mauresque that I just read about in the biography, and it was just everything I really wanted to see and look at. It took us a while to get there, the traffic was bad.
Lynn was wearing a dress that was split up the sides and you could see all her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and she just had a little bikini on and she looked beautiful, she has a great body. I think she was trying to get Jamie excited. And they have sort of the same last name. Everybody thinks it's her son who's having a show there.
And then Sandra Hochman walked in and she was just so boring, rattling on and on, she told me she's had a boyfriend who's just bought an apartment in Monte Carlo. She said he discovered fast food-he owns Tad's Steak Houses-and she told me any time I wanted to give a chic party there she'd fix it up for me.