Chapter 51
Ran into John Richardson and I began asking him about Andrew Crispo, and then the TV cameras were around us so we didn't want them to know what we were talking about so I began calling Crispo "her" and John got it right away. He said, "I never knew her really well, I just thought she was a sleazebag." And John was talking about the h.e.l.lfire Club and I'm surprised I've never been there, I'm surprised I never wound up there some night. But I can't stand the smells of those places-even the preppie Surf Club is tough to take.
I got catalogues, and the painting I did of Happy Rockefeller, an early one from '64, was up for sale. It's estimated at $30,000 or $40,000, and if she'd donated it to one of the museums she could've gotten a $500,000 writeoff because of the new prices, so I don't know why she's selling it. Maybe it's the kids. She sold that Nelson Rockefeller one, too, months ago.
And it's Fas.h.i.+on Week and all around town, everyone's just a beauty, it's so depressing.
Oh, and Victor called me and I said he doesn't come to visit, and he said he'll start coming tomorrow. He lives on 57th Street-he's with somebody, he'll always get by, he still has his big d.i.c.k.
And I don't know why Interview Interview is having all these Bruce Weber editorial photos of naked people. I mean all those pages with no clothes-no is having all these Bruce Weber editorial photos of naked people. I mean all those pages with no clothes-no fas.h.i.+on fas.h.i.+on credits?! What's the point? I don't get it! We have advertisers to think about. I'm going to lay down the law: "No more birthday suits." credits?! What's the point? I don't get it! We have advertisers to think about. I'm going to lay down the law: "No more birthday suits."
Wednesday, May 1, 1985 Went into Vito Giallo's to look at rare books. Then went to lunch with David Whitney, and Peter Brant's back into art again. He bought a Rosenquist. They're still underpriced. But they'll run out of people and give him a big show and then his prices will go up. I mean, they're selling David Salles for as much as Rosenquists!
Thursday, May 2, 1985 Cabbed to 82nd and First ($4) for Bianca's birthday party. Her boyfriend Glenn Dubin had called. And Bianca was driving me crazy, saying how she's researching my days in Pittsburgh for her book on Great Men, and she went on and on about how I broke the system, broke the system, broke the system, and I felt like saying, "Look, Bianca, I'm just here here. I'm just a working person. How did I break the system?" G.o.d, she's dumb.
Friday,May 3, 1985 It was raining out in the morning. Ran around with Benjamin. Had a 1:15 appointment with Stephen Sprouse to see a fas.h.i.+on show that he was putting on for Vogue and me (cab $6). Went to 860 Broadway, our old loft s.p.a.ce, and it was great to give a cabdriver that address again: "17th and Broadway."
They'd divided it into some rooms, and then the front was all painted gold and there were beautiful models to show the stuff to us and it was fun and really exciting, and I just want to buy all his clothes.
Then, I'd promised Jean Michel this dinner at Le Cirque. So Benjamin dropped me and I glued and went over there. He'd invited Eric Goode and his girlfriend and Clemente and his wife Alba and then when he ordered the most expensive wine they said they were out of it, and then when he ordered the next most expensive, they were out of it, too. I don't think they wanted to give it to us, see, because it was a free free dinner. Sirio's been telling me for years he wanted to give me one, so here it was. And they gave all these excuses and apologies, and then Jean Michel ordered the cheapest wine, and dinner. Sirio's been telling me for years he wanted to give me one, so here it was. And they gave all these excuses and apologies, and then Jean Michel ordered the cheapest wine, and that that they had. And it was actually good. And the next day when Paige and I went there with they had. And it was actually good. And the next day when Paige and I went there with Interviews Interviews, Sirio was still apologizing. But anyway, it cost me in tips ($200). Oh, and last time I was at Le Cirque there was this model there who said he was a friend of Tom Cas.h.i.+n's and seeing him there with this slightly older man, at Le Cirque, I mean, it really made me decide that you can't go to straight restaurants with just boys, it looks too funny. You wonder what they're doing there, they're a sore thumb.
Monday,May 6, 1985 Ronnie looks so good these days and his art's still really selling. He's going with that Tama Janowitz girl who's such a fast writer, she writes so many stories. He's like Gerard Malanga. They both stay emotionally immature. Ronnie has a big c.o.c.k. He services these girls, and he stays young, just like Gerard-they don't grow up.
And Debbie Harry called and said that it was a big secret but that she just signed with David Geffen. And Stephen Sprouse is so happy about that because he's been turning down people like Madonna who wanted him to do clothes for her because Debbie was the one who really started Stephen and he wanted to be loyal to her, that's the kind of person he is. So now she'll be out there again.
Tuesday, May 7, 1985
Fred called from Europe and said he was coming in today.
Jean Michel said he decided not to do anything for Steve Rubell's new club because he asked what he was going to get out of it, and Steve told him, "It's for the glory, the prestige." Can you imagine hearing this from Steve? I'm still trying to get the drink tickets I'm designing for him together, so I'll ask about which day PH and I can tape him for the Party book as soon as I give them to him so he'll feel guilty.
Wednesday,May 8, 1985 There was a big Area party. Jean Michel picked me up and we went down there. And my display window had my Invisible Sculpture in it and Jean Michel's stuff looked great-a big record-and Keith and everybody was there. And the installations were great. And Steve Rubell was walking around saying, "Great, great," being so jealous, wis.h.i.+ng it were his club.
Thursday, May 9, 1985 I see there's a Soup Can dress in one of the shows on Broadway because I see it in the TV ad. I can't tell which show, maybe it's Grind Grind. Went to Jean Michel's, picked him up (cab $6). And he's working again and his work is wonderful, it's so exciting, and I think he will last.
We went to the Odeon and had dinner and talked with Steve Rubell and Eric Goode about the club openings and everything and it was fun, and Steve is getting artists to do things for his new club, the Palladium, and Keith did a backdrop that can be lowered from the ceiling down to the dance floor and Steve is sitting there saying, "If it isn't any good we just won't bring it down too often." I mean... (dinner $240).
And then Steve's driver took us over to the Palladium and it's what the movies in the thirties were all about-dirty on the outside and then inside these white pristine columns, and everything big and lacquered, blue poles and stairs like Ziegfeld Follies girls would come down. And Clemente's painting a ceiling. But I mean, still, it's just another place to go, and Area is already so successful at this, and they change themes all the time, so I don't know. He and Ian are just "managing" the club because you can't have a police record and own a club. Like we had to be fingerprinted and checked out when we had our club, The Dom, in '65. Everyone went on to Area and I went home (cab $6).
Gee, Madonna was just a waitress at the Lucky Strike a year ago.
Sunday, May 12, 1985 Jean Michel called, he's working on his painting for the Palladium. But it's collapsible and he can take it away any time he wants.
Monday, May 13, 1985 Ian Schrager called and I finally finished the design for the drink tickets and Vincent got them Xeroxed and I went over to the Palladium with Benjamin and showed it to Steve Rubell and PH and I taped Steve for the Party book for an hour and a half. Got a good tape and went back to the office.
Tuesday, May 14, 1985 The day of the opening night of the Palladium. The day started off with the problem of Amos being sick. And then the guy painting the roof across the street came over and said mine needed doing. He got my name from the super over there, I guess, and I gave him the go-ahead to do it and he did it. Then he gave me a bill for $4,900. I hadn't remembered to get an estimate. My fault. Then I get a note from the neighbor saying my roof is now silver silver and that they just can't stand looking at it. They're telling the right guy, right? No silver. Anyway, I told him to repaint it and I asked him how much and that they just can't stand looking at it. They're telling the right guy, right? No silver. Anyway, I told him to repaint it and I asked him how much that that would be and he says it'll take thirty gallons to spray it and it'll cost $1,200. And he does it in five minutes. would be and he says it'll take thirty gallons to spray it and it'll cost $1,200. And he does it in five minutes. Five minutes! Five minutes! I thought it would take hours. And then later he says $1,500 and I reminded him that he'd said $1,200 before. I thought it would take hours. And then later he says $1,500 and I reminded him that he'd said $1,200 before.
So in the midst of all those problems, Benjamin picked me up early and we cabbed to the office ($4) and the place is so big and spread-out, I ran up and down stairs, up and down and sideways up and down and sideways. That's my life there. That's what I do for a living since we moved there.
Keith showed up. We were waiting for Kenny Scharf to call to say if he wanted to go to Stephen Sprouse's to get an outfit, but then he went on his own. He got pink Stephen Sprouse low-riders and wore them with a blouse made by his wife, Teresa. But I don't think it's attractive, seeing the crack in the a.s.s. On girls either. I don't like it, really.
Then we picked up PH and went down with Keith to the Palladium and went in the back door on 13th Street and the electricians and construction people were working fast. We went up to Steve Rubell's office and the phones were ringing and he was saying, "There's no door list, the invitations all were delivered yesterday and there is is no list." And in between people were coming in with the list. Then I left after taping some more for the Party book and taking some pictures. Dropped PH ($5). Went home and glued. no list." And in between people were coming in with the list. Then I left after taping some more for the Party book and taking some pictures. Dropped PH ($5). Went home and glued.
Picked Cornelia up and she looked beautiful, she got this idea to wear a long braid and she looked like Britt Ekland or something (cab $6). And Halston came out for this, that was a big thing. So, anyway, we went in and stood in a couple of places. And Benjamin was there as Ming Vauze in a grape-colored strapless with a tulle skirt. And Beauregard who writes for Details was in drag, too. Boy George was there with Marilyn who's always obnoxious, she had a camera. Eric and Shawn from Area were there looking glum. Chris in a striped outfit was there, he was complaining that the drinks weren't free, but Cornelia was getting the Cristal from Dan, Steve's driver from New Hamps.h.i.+re, who's now the "general manager" there, but I don't think that's going to work out because he's too nice, he'll never be the type to manage a place.
And Jean Michel was in a dark mood. He'd bought Jennifer a dress to wear to the opening and then he didn't even bring her, he left her home. And I didn't lecture him about the heroin he takes because I didn't want to have a fight. And I'm worried about Ming turning into an alcoholic, because I saw what happened with Curley-it starts very happy and lots of fun but it doesn't end up that way. And the Palladium, I don't know, it was good for opening night but they're going to have to have the bridge and tunnel people in there all the time to fill it up. And if it is a success, then we'll know there's no recession.
And the funny thing about putting art in a disco is that in the end, when you pack all the people in, it doesn't make a bit of difference. It really doesn't. You don't even see things. And like that Sat.u.r.day Night Fever Sat.u.r.day Night Fever "discotheque room" they have-when it filled up you couldn't even see what it was supposed to be, it's just all bodies dancing and you don't notice what anything is. "discotheque room" they have-when it filled up you couldn't even see what it was supposed to be, it's just all bodies dancing and you don't notice what anything is.
So Steve Rubell really has a story now, jail and then the Big Comeback. "I never lost faith," he says. But he lost hair. Left at 2:30.
Wednesday,May 15, 1985 Well, it was an awful day.
Went to 80th and Second to Dr. Marder's to see Amos. They've still got him there today. I hope he's all right. And Dr. Marder made a faux pas faux pas and said he remembered my "beagle." and said he remembered my "beagle."
Then called the office and they said that the Talking Heads were waiting for me and I'd forgotten and by the time I got down there (cab $6) the lead one had left. They've friends of Don Munroe's and he and Vincent were trying to get them to do video work. But I always felt I've known them for so long. They went to the Rhode Island School of Design.
Cornelia called about eighteen times.
Then right before we left the office, somebody called and said that Jackie Curtis O.D.'d. He's gone. And that wasn't something I wanted to hear.
Monday,May 20, 1985 After work got ready for the Claudia Cohen party at the Palladium. I was late picking up Cornelia, she was waiting downstairs. And we cabbed to 14th Street, and it was all limousines.
Saul Steinberg was there with his third wife, Gayfryd, who's so beautiful, she looks like the "Draw Me" girl in old magazines. And Claudia's mother was there, so glamorous and really beautiful, whereas Claudia is just "cute." But it'll be a while before Ron Perelman trades her in, and she can help him a lot in the meantime.
The party was all these old guys dancing around with their new young wives that they traded in for.
And when you came in the door there was a guy holding a candle, and all along the way up, at intervals, would be another guy with a candle and then another. And they had drinks
Steve Rubell said the other day that Claudia was paying the Pointer Sisters $100,000. They came on after the dessert and did six or eight songs. And I had the best seat, right in front of them at table 7. Cornelia was at table 1 with Roy Cohn and his boyfriend, who was wearing a blue tuxedo that was half leather. Boy George and Marilyn came in at the end. Cornelia and Marilyn hit it off and instead of leaving with me she went off dancing with them.
The food was pretty good-Glorious Food. But they don't have the real beauties for waiters anymore. You aren't knocked out. Now they have sort of the thirty-five look. Somebody else must be picking them because they used to look like Steve Rubell had hand-picked them-that look. And the Glorious Food waiters wear white gloves now, I guess guess Glorious makes them in order to prevent the fist-f.u.c.king from spreading. It's a good idea because I spotted a friend of Victor's among them. The only glittering personality there was Geraldo Rivera. Glorious makes them in order to prevent the fist-f.u.c.king from spreading. It's a good idea because I spotted a friend of Victor's among them. The only glittering personality there was Geraldo Rivera.
Tuesday,May 21, 1985 My day started off with destruction. I picked up this rug and the moths had eaten it right through. They're all in the back. I'm going to spread more moth stuff. So far they only got an Indian rug, but they could eventually get to my Stephen Sprouse things.
Benjamin came and we decided to walk down Madison to the office. We didn't have any Interviews Interviews. Rupert arrived at 6:30 and worked a little. His boyfriend picked him up in Rupert's Rolls Royce, he was out there waiting like a nagging wife, I guess Rupert wants that, though. Poor Rupert is henpecked. And I'm just waiting for them to have the big fight. The guy is taking him for a ride. So there he was waiting in this grand left-side-driving Rolls. And they gave me a ride home because it was raining and hard to get a cab.
And during the day I bought lots of newspapers for the front pages-they had the s.e.xtuplets on ($2). And People People magazine has the article on the artists and it has "Andy Warhol, fifty-eight." And then "Keith Haring, twenty-two." So if anybody asks, just tell them I'm eighty. Always, "He's eighty." magazine has the article on the artists and it has "Andy Warhol, fifty-eight." And then "Keith Haring, twenty-two." So if anybody asks, just tell them I'm eighty. Always, "He's eighty."
Wednesday,May 22, 1985 I found more moths.
Andy Friendly still won't give the money for our TV show, so I guess we'll just do it on our own with Paige trying to get advertisers.
Went down to Keith's party at the Palladium and it was packed, that huge place-packed!
Then decided to go to Private Eyes, the video club. It was their Gay Night and jammed, wall to wall. These kids, if you saw them on the street you would never think they were gay. They look like L.A. kids. Stayed there a few minutes. Then got home at 2:00 (cab $6).
Thursday, May 23, 1985 Somebody told me that Jackie Curtis had a long obituary in The New York Times The New York Times. I still keep wanting to think it was a put-on like his weddings. They said he was thirty-eight, so I must have met him when he was what? Eighteen?
Here from Dusseldorf, the partner of Hans Mayer, came to lunch at the office. And Fred and I had words because he was being so elegant and grand and said to me in right front of Hete, "Why don't you tell Hete how you really feel about the gallery not paying you." You know, so I was stuck. Fred really is bored. He wants to do a change, I guess. Like Paul Morrissey did.
And then Paige picked me up, but she was only in a taxi, not a car. And I said I'd said to get "a car" and she said, "Well this is is a car" (cab $9). Then got to the Apollo and there were millions of cops. It was the Hall and Oates taping and it was benefit for the Negro College Fund. Hall and Oates came on and they were great, did all their hits. Boy George arrived with Cornelia and they were in a box and he was throwing kisses. And then two of the Temptations came on and jammed with them, and they were great, and you could really see that that's who Hall and Oates copied. And when it was over we left and the cops were just crazy for Boy George. I've never seen anything like it. They just all wanted his autograph so much, and Marilyn said to one of them, "I want to have an affair with you," and he said, "I have someone you'll really like." I mean, I really have never seen that kind of thing going on with the cops. a car" (cab $9). Then got to the Apollo and there were millions of cops. It was the Hall and Oates taping and it was benefit for the Negro College Fund. Hall and Oates came on and they were great, did all their hits. Boy George arrived with Cornelia and they were in a box and he was throwing kisses. And then two of the Temptations came on and jammed with them, and they were great, and you could really see that that's who Hall and Oates copied. And when it was over we left and the cops were just crazy for Boy George. I've never seen anything like it. They just all wanted his autograph so much, and Marilyn said to one of them, "I want to have an affair with you," and he said, "I have someone you'll really like." I mean, I really have never seen that kind of thing going on with the cops.
Sat.u.r.day,May 25, 1985 Walked to work. Kenny Scharf came by. And he said he doesn't know what to do because he likes to feel free and do whatever he wants but he does love Teresa and the baby, but he feels he has to have that free feeling. So Kenny was there for hours and then left at 7:00.
And you know, in the pizza place next to the office on 33rd Street, the one that's owned by Koreans or Chinese, it was so sad, because they were cleaning up and throwing out all the stuff from, maybe, the bas.e.m.e.nt, books and things, and I wanted to go through it all but I didn't. And this woman was holding these two big white dogs and I don't know if she belonged there or if she didn't. You don't know about people. Everybody just does their own stuff on their own scale. There was a naked baby in the middle of the floor.
Sunday,May 26, 1985 Another hot day. Rode around the city and over to New Jersey with Chris and Randall. Peter and Chris are trying to decide whether they should keep it together or not. And Randall is a gymnast who came to New York to see the world and the first person he sees is Chris so you know what part of the world he's seeing.
Then went home and watched TV. Deceptions Deceptions with Stefanie Powers. I went to sleep, facing life alone. with Stefanie Powers. I went to sleep, facing life alone.
Wednesday,May 29, 1985 Was picked up by Benjamin and there was a note from Crazy Matty at the door. He's been leaving notes for Brigid at the office.
Then cab ($4) to meet Paige for her lunch at the office with some advertisers. And the reason Paige sells so many ads is she actually enjoys the people she meets from selling ads, she likes entertaining them for business, which not many people can do.
Then Jean Michel came over to paint and he was laughing and kidding around and Paige called up to me on the phone and screamed, "Get him out out of here!" And I just didn't know what to say, she hung up before I could even think, and then she just left the office. She was calling Jean Michel a creep and everything. of here!" And I just didn't know what to say, she hung up before I could even think, and then she just left the office. She was calling Jean Michel a creep and everything.
Cabbed to Canastel's ($5) to Katie Ford's dinner where she said she'd have male models. And this is the place where the guy wanted me to do a mural for the wall but wasn't going to give us enough credit-I was going to do it with Jean Michel, but eventually the wall would've been worth more than the whole restaurant. But this place was great, just jammed, and pink lights and just really good food and steamed vegetables for appetizers that were as big a serving as the main course at the Odeon. Like California food.
So I was with this model with blond hair and piercing black eyes, and he knew all about "walk-ins." They're when somebody else walks walks into your body. It makes sense. It happens if you're having this trauma or if you're sick or something. And you know, when I was little I remember I was really sick and didn't like school and had to be dragged there and then one day I changed-after that I loved school and everything, so I think somebody may have walked into me then.... I'm not clear on who the walk-ins are. Souls. And I'm not clear on where they come from. into your body. It makes sense. It happens if you're having this trauma or if you're sick or something. And you know, when I was little I remember I was really sick and didn't like school and had to be dragged there and then one day I changed-after that I loved school and everything, so I think somebody may have walked into me then.... I'm not clear on who the walk-ins are. Souls. And I'm not clear on where they come from.
Monday,June 3, 1985 Benjamin picked me up and we went to the West Side to Dr. Linda Li. She told me Fantastik is poison, not to use it (phone $2). Decided to stay out as long as possible because it'd been a couple of days of me being cooped up, and it was a beautiful day. Went to Bagel Nosh ($10) and stood in line for scrambled eggs and it was so dirty but it was okay, I faced it. Wandered to 46th Street. Saw the sights. Took pictures of drunken ladies sleeping on park benches and felt that life was just so awful. And I don't know what I try to look good for. Everybody when you look at them really close is so awful-looking. So animalistic.
And then it was time to go to the opening of my Reigning Queens show down on West Broadway and Greene Street. This is the show that George Mulder got together. Some one-night Dutch benefit thing. Rupert's "wife" picked us up in the Bentley and the missus was disgruntled. And then we got down there and parked next to Victor's limousine. Victor just got some kind of settlement from Halston. I think he had to sign a paper saying he wouldn't talk about Halston ever, but I mean, what does that that mean? He's happy now that he's got this wad of money, but when it's gone... mean? He's happy now that he's got this wad of money, but when it's gone...
And I've hit rock bottom. This show, I have sunk to the bottom of the gutter. The rock bottom of the skids of the end of the line. It was like having an opening in somebody's rent-controlled apartment. I mean, they had a paper covering a mirror! And they had hors d'oeuvres that I think they were making in the kitchen. And these Dutch TV people were all around. It was so lowdown and tacky. Fred wasn't there. He'd already left, didn't want to face me, I guess he was in shock. We found him dazed, wandering along Christopher Street later on, on his way up to the Ballroom for the Scavullo benefit for the church in Greenwich Village. We just ran into him on a fluke and gave him a ride.
So we left there and went up to the Scavullo thing and I sat down but then Cornelia was screaming that there was a fas.h.i.+on show and that I was supposed to be in it, so somebody grabbed me and took me to the bas.e.m.e.nt, and it was every famous beautiful model and the t.i.ts were flying all over the place. And I was in Stephen Sprouse, and Cornelia and I got the biggest applause. And Boy George was in the audience and Marilyn, and they said let's go to dinner, they had a limo, but I went in a cab anyway, up to Mr. Chow's (cab $6).
It was me and Benjamin and Boy George and Marilyn and Cornelia and Couri Hay and they all act like horrible brats-Couri screamed across the restaurant to Dianne Brill, "Get your p.u.s.s.y over here," and this is a place with just regular people, and then Cornelia would say to somebody who'd told them to please be quiet, "You look like a dried duck," or something like that. Just awful. And then Marilyn saw Mary Wilson sitting at a table and went over and Benjamin just collapsed because she's his favorite singer, and then she came over and thanked me for going to her comeback concert a few years ago (dinner $400).
And Boy George and Marilyn like me I think because they can say mean things and then I'm not quick enough to think of a comeback, so I'm not a threat to them.
Wednesday,June 5, 1985 Picked up by Benjamin. Put out all the mothballed things onto the street and was shocked by how much there was. Dr. Linda Li and Dr. Bernsohn both told me that mothb.a.l.l.s were absolute poison. Bernsohn said he wouldn't get within forty feet of them.
And I asked Bernsohn for ideas for paintings. And I brought up "walk-ins" and told him how I think somebody might have walked into me when I was shot, in addition to somebody maybe walked irto me when I was little. But somehow these walk-in theories don't make total sense to me. He said that if your body is really weak and sick n.o.body will walk into it. And then I said, "But then people could be walking into you the rest of the time." I don't get it yet.
Cabbed with Jon who's back in town for a couple of days to 32nd Street to see Rambo. And the movie was ridiculous. It was like Friday the 13th Friday the 13th but with explosions. but with explosions.
Thursday, June 6, 1985 Went over to Macy's to judge the Madonna look-alike contest. They expected 200 girls but there were only 100. They'd spent a fortune, these girls, on the clothes and jewelry. It was over pretty fast, by 5:10, and it'd started at 4:30.
Went to Radio City Music Hall for Madonna's concert (cab $6). And the show was so great. Just so simple and s.e.xy and Madonna is so pretty. Now she's thinner and just so great. And afterwards we went downstairs where there was a private party, the level with the ladies' rooms. And Madonna came down with Jean Michel-I guess he'd gone backstage. And she was fun. She said she was going to the Palladium and might go to Keith's dinner, and she was so sweet and nice. So we went and drove to Iso on 11th Street and Second and then Madonna did arrive, she came in a truck. And they sat her next to me, and she was just great. They were teasing her about her false eyelashes, saying they were bigger than Louise Nevelson's. And everyone was so thrilled, the waiters were on the floor. She was drawing c.o.c.ks on Futura's pants.
Monday,June 10, 1985 The morning started off with the doorbell ringing so loud and it was Crazy Matty and the neighbors are really getting upset from him hanging around all the time. When Benjamin came he went out to talk to him and Matty has his days all mapped out-his schedule is as big as mine. Like at 1:00 he's going to go bother Warren Beatty at the Carlyle, at 3:00 he's going to make a nuisance call to Woody Allen, then at 8:00 he has the Emmys to attend where he'll stand behind the police lines and scream at Celeste Holm on her way in, things like that. I gave him $.25 to call Brigid at the office and divert him away from me.
I just don't know what to send Leo for the show he's doing. Anything I send it'll just look like the stuff by the kids who're making it that way now, only they do it better better than me. So n.o.body will even want to copy it. And Jean Michel said he got a huge bill-like maybe I think $100,000-from his dealer in L.A., Gagosian, for his stay there when he was living so high. than me. So n.o.body will even want to copy it. And Jean Michel said he got a huge bill-like maybe I think $100,000-from his dealer in L.A., Gagosian, for his stay there when he was living so high.
Thursday, June 13, 1985 Then got a cab and the driver knew all about me, said he'd just seen Bad Bad on video and knew all about the building on 33rd Street. He said, "You made my night." That's a good song t.i.tle on video and knew all about the building on 33rd Street. He said, "You made my night." That's a good song t.i.tle [singing]: [singing]: "I made your night, I made your night," so I had to give him a big tip ($7). "I made your night, I made your night," so I had to give him a big tip ($7).
Friday,June 14, 1985 During this morning I went down to the Seagram's building for that "How to Paint" video thing that the computer company, Commodore, wants me to be a spokesman for. And I guess I got the job. I was afraid that they were going to put a spotlight on me and have me draw in front of 700 people, but it was okay. It's a $3,000 machine that's like the Apple thing but can do a hundred times more.
Wednesday,June 19, 1985 In the morning Amos still wasn't feeling well. I'd given him part of a Valium when he was yelping the day before and I thought he'd be fine. When I called to ask Jed to take him to the vet he wasn't in town, so I took him myself (cab $3). Dr. Marder wasn't there so we saw Dr. Greene, then dropped Amos back home. Then went up to Bernsohn's and that was interesting. I told him that the crystal I'd put in the kitchen at the office to repel roaches wasn't working, that we were getting more roaches than ever. He said he was going to call Dr. Reese about it, and later, in the afternoon, he called and said that the crystal was now reprogrammed to un-reverse itself, so now we'll see the proof. But anyway, while I was still there, the most interesting thing was that he told his secretary Judy to get up on the table and pretend to be Amos and he asked her what was wrong with her and she said that she had a crushed vertebra on her left or right side. And I hadn't told him! And she told him that farther down she also had maybe an ulcer. And then Judy said she didn't want to be a dog anymore, that she wanted to go back to human, so she did. He said to give Amos comfrey for the ulcer.
There was a big lunch at the office. The Mosses were coming, from A&M records-the wife I did the portrait of. Their son is going to acting camp.
Thursday, June 20, 1985 Amos still wasn't feeling well. I let him run around but I don't know if I should have.
Ran into David Whitney and Michael Heizer and they said to come along to the Whitney to look at what they were doing. And I did and I got so jealous. People can walk on it. Silkscreened textures on big pieces of cardboard. Big like a house. And they're just going to throw it out after the show's over. It's a hill formation.
And somebody told me that my old friend Ted Carey who I once split the cost for a Fairfield Porter portrait with-he painted us both together-has you-know-what.
I left work early (cab $6) and when I got home Paige was calling, crying hysterically that the big opening she was having that night for her Mexican artist Julio Galan was banned by the board of directors of the co-op building where she was having it. It was in the same building that got mad when she gave the black graffiti artists a show. I told her that she just had to buck up and reschedule the show someplace else.
So I cabbed down to Indochine for a dinner for Elizabeth Saltzman. Shawn Hausman had a beautiful fifties car and after the dinner he drove us over to Area where they had these kids on skateboarding loops. It looks so dangerous, like a twenty-five or thirty-foot arc, fifteen feet high. One kid fell when the light went in his eye.
Wilfredo who used to work for Armani who works for us was there and his brother was picking him up to take him home to New Jersey. Because Wilfredo got kicked out of his apartment and now he's got to go home to New Jersey every night, and his mother's very careful and makes his brother come into the city to pick him up and the brother likes it because that way he gets to go to all the clubs with Wilfredo. So then went to the Palladium. Wilfredo's brother drove. Cornelia was there with Philippe Junot. Stayed five minutes and went home (cab $6).
Friday,June 21, 1985 I yelled at Brigid a lot yesterday. She threw out an important piece of artwork. It was a doodle that Michael Viner wanted made into a painting for his wife Deborah Raffin.
Lunch was for the Krizia people. And Paige by then was a new person, completely recovered from the night before when she had to stand in front of the building for four hours telling people as they a rrived that the art show was cancelled, and somebody who was there said that each time Paige would have to say it, she'd burst out crying all over again. I asked her how she was able to recover so quickly and she said it was part of her job. So that was good. I told her she should put her advertising commission money into a loft and have four or five art shows a year there.
I decided to go to the Whitney Tower wedding which was at 5:00 at St. Bart's. Fred was an usher (cab $3.50).
The bride looked beautiful. I was sitting next to Charles Evans. Nick Love from L.A. read a good paragraph from the Bible. He's got the style of the thirties which I think will come back sometime for actors. I wasn't invited to the reception. Had tennis shoes on and walked uptown with Joan Quinn.
Called Jean Michel but he hasn't called me back, I guess he's slowly breaking away. He used to call me all the time from wherever he was.
Sat.u.r.day,June 22, 1985 Changed into black tie before Roy Cohn's birthday party. Called PH to say I was leaving immediately to pick her up but then noticed a note from Matty outside the door so I waited a few minutes and peeked out the window and didn't see him, made a dash to Park and got a cab. Picked up PH. Got to the Palladium (cab $5.50). We were at a table with Vera Swift and Philippe Junot and Jacqueline Stone and some prince from Austria and Vera's daughter Kimberly and a man I didn't know and two women I didn't know. Said h.e.l.lo to Barbara Walters who just announced her engagement a few weeks ago, and she looks really good.
And everybody was saying how sick Roy looked, and that he was dying. Steve Rubell told me the other week that Roy had cancer and was in remission-that it wasn't AIDS, but regular cancer. He didn't look well.
And Jacqueline Stone was going on, worried about her son, Oliver, who's now in El Salvador directing a movie he wrote and n.o.body's heard from him in a week. And I remembered later that Boaz Mazor was the star of Oliver Stone's first movie and he once told me that Oliver's mother was a stage mother on the set handing out poppers to the actors to help them act.
And then after dinner the politicians' speeches started. Stanley Friedman from the Bronx gave a speech and mentioned Lebanon and the hostages there from flight 847 and said we can't forget the trouble spots in the world like Afghanistan and Nicaragua, while we're having our nice dinner at the Palladium.
And Philippe Junot during all the political talk just sat there practically asleep. But when somebody at the podium introduced a "twenty-nine-year-old Donald Trump," Philippe's head popped up and he said, "Donald's not twenty-nine!" And then the last speaker was Roy himself and before he started to talk the two big blocks of TV monitors came down and they were all filled with vintage footage of Roy's face from the fifties giving his anti-Communist speeches. And that was exciting, it was the best thing. And they brought out a big fat cake and then a Kate Smith record was blasting over the speakers with "G.o.d Bless America" and the "flag up there" that all the speech-givers kept referring to came down and it was actually shredded red, white, and blue banners. Plastic. Talked to Richard Turley and the lady who invented Weight Watchers. And then the dancing music started and everybody got up. And by this time the kids they'd let into the club were overhead looking down from the balcony on the dinner.
Wednesday,June 26, 1985 Went into the Whitney to see the Michael Heizer show because I wasn't invited to the dinner that night for the opening, which I thought was so strange, because there it was my good friends David Whitney and Michael Heizer planning this whole dinner with a list and everything and I wasn't even on it. And David was cool to me. I mean, here's this man who wants to marry me when Philip Johnson kicks the bucket and he didn't even invite me to the dinner. He was wearing the Stephen Sprouse tie I gave him. And Tom Armstrong doesn't invite me to anything anymore because he doesn't have to court me now that the Whitney's got all my old films (phone $4, cab $5.50).
Thursday, June 27, 1985 Stuart Fivar is casting bronzes for Stallone and he doesn't know what to do because he just saw an original of the one he's casting going at auction for cheaper than he's casting the copy copy for Stallone for for Stallone for (laughs) (laughs), so he doesn't know what to do, he's afraid Stallone will see it, too. And Stuart's girlfriend Barbara Guggenheim was out there in L.A. selling art to Stallone for hours and hours when PH was trying to wring just twenty more minutes out of him for her cover interview for our Movies issue.
Oh aid I forgot to say that on 45th Street I ran into a lady who said her father delivered Ted Carey and his brother and she asked how he was and I didn't have the heart to tell her he had AIDS.
Friday,June 28, 1985 The doorbell was ringing and the rain had started and Benjamin came to pick me up, but then Matty was waiting for me outside. I gave him a dollar and told him to (laughs) (laughs) call Warren Beatty. He's really skinny now. We gave him an call Warren Beatty. He's really skinny now. We gave him an Interview Interview and he followed us to Versace and he read it outside while he was waiting and he became so engrossed that we were able to slip past him, he didn't even see us. Little did we know that he'd be waiting for us downtown on 33rd Street when we got to the office. Benjamin reasoned with him and now Matty's going to consider giving me the weekends off. and he followed us to Versace and he read it outside while he was waiting and he became so engrossed that we were able to slip past him, he didn't even see us. Little did we know that he'd be waiting for us downtown on 33rd Street when we got to the office. Benjamin reasoned with him and now Matty's going to consider giving me the weekends off.
Cornelia called and she tried to tell me a "secret" but I told her don't bother, that it was so obvious that she was seeing Philippe Junot. All these girls want to see what Caroline gave up.