Chapter 61
And at the end it was sick, the councilmen came in and waved their arms around to show they cared, in case case there were people taking pictures. there were people taking pictures.
We left there and Victor dropped me and said he hated Stephen and Paige and Tama, that they were phonies and balonies, and then later he called and was saying he knew knew I was taping him on the phone and so he was talking "to the people on the other side of the tape recorder," and I don't know if he's on drugs or if he's just hallucinating on his own. There's something wrong with him. I was taping him on the phone and so he was talking "to the people on the other side of the tape recorder," and I don't know if he's on drugs or if he's just hallucinating on his own. There's something wrong with him.
I saw our Cars video, "h.e.l.lo Again," on MTV. They ran it again, and it still looks really good. I can't believe it came out of our place. And I can't believe n.o.body else had us to do their videos after that. Oh, and I bought some magazines. A lot of them ($25). I walked the dogs and Paige called but I was too cozy to go out to dinner. And then Jean Michel called and he's furious at Paige because he finally found out about his father playing the cannibal in Paige's pictorial spread for Tama's book, A Cannibal in Manhattan Cannibal in Manhattan, he'd just seen the item on Page Six about it. He said, "What is she trying to do? Is she after my father?" father?" And he said his father's writing a book, and he said And he said his father's writing a book, and he said (laughs) (laughs), "He's not even a drug addict-how can he write a book? About what?" what?" That's the first time I ever heard Jean Michel say something funny. I wonder if that's his sense of humor. And he didn't go to Germany for his big show. That's the first time I ever heard Jean Michel say something funny. I wonder if that's his sense of humor. And he didn't go to Germany for his big show.
Friday, November 28, 1986 Tony picked me up and we pa.s.sed out interviews interviews.. Cabbed to the office ($7). Fred was working, waiting for the call from Hamburg from Hans Mayer saying when he was coming the next day. The German lady came in with her boyfriend for me to take pictures of for a portrait. And they have a stuffed gremlin, you know, from the Gremlins Gremlins Spielberg movie, that they sleep with and Spielberg movie, that they sleep with and that that has to be in the portrait, too. She's about thirty-six and he's about eighteen. The gremlin doesn't actually look so bad when you see it, it's not quite as bad as you'd think. has to be in the portrait, too. She's about thirty-six and he's about eighteen. The gremlin doesn't actually look so bad when you see it, it's not quite as bad as you'd think.
Fred made a reservation to take them to Nell's. I think he became a member. It's $200 a year, I think, but it hasn't gone through yet. I'm not going to join. I think it stinks, joining.
And I don't call Sam anymore, everything is different now-my eyes are opened. I guess he was taking drugs when he used to lose things. I don't know when it started, maybe he always was. Maybe he would always go out after he dropped me off. Looking back now, I guess I wasn't seeing what I didn't want to see. Again. Does it ever end? Do you ever get smart?
Sat.u.r.day, November 29, 1986 Fred called and said we had a lunch with Hans Mayer and the Mercedes-Benz guy at Harry Cipriani's bar. And the guy was handsome and lunch was fun. I think I'll try (laughs) (laughs) to get a car and driver out of them, to get the "feel" for the paintings. I'm painting old Mercedeses for them. to get a car and driver out of them, to get the "feel" for the paintings. I'm painting old Mercedeses for them.
Then Katy Ford and her husband Andre Balazs took me to the Miss Olympia contest at the Felt Forum, and afterwards we went to Tommy Tang's down on Duane Street. It was fun. Richard Johnson of Page Six was with us and he said that when he was working at the newsroom of the Post Post he got a phone call and it was Timothy Hutton saying, "h.e.l.lo, this is Timothy Hutton. Did anyone there call me?" And Richard asked around and everybody said no. And then Timothy Hutton asked, "Well did anyone call Madonna?" I guess she was with him. You know how these things are, you get a message with a number. And they said no. And so then he said, "Well where is it that I'm calling?" And they said, he got a phone call and it was Timothy Hutton saying, "h.e.l.lo, this is Timothy Hutton. Did anyone there call me?" And Richard asked around and everybody said no. And then Timothy Hutton asked, "Well did anyone call Madonna?" I guess she was with him. You know how these things are, you get a message with a number. And they said no. And so then he said, "Well where is it that I'm calling?" And they said, "The New York Post "The New York Post. And since we've got you on the phone, what are you doing with Madonna?" And he hung up fast.
Sunday, November 30, 1986 Stuart had a car and we went to Christie's and Stuart had to hide so they wouldn't see him- he still hasn't paid for the flute, they call him every day. Stuart regrets buying it because, I mean, what would he get for it if he tried to sell it? And then we went over to the piers to the Antiques and Collectibles Exposition (tickets $15). And it's just the same stuff everywhere. Small and the same, no character. Nothing dramatic. That Modernism show at the armory last week was great, though. But the guy wanted $5,000 for a World's Fair service for eight or twelve! I couldn't believe it. I was asking if I could buy the big spoon because I have a big service and I wore the big spoons out and so he told me the price and I said in that case could I sell him my set?
Then we went down to the flea market. And we ran into one of the Interview Interview editors, the new one, Kevin Sessums. He was alone, buying a picture of a girl with cleavage, which was odd (research materials $210). Then they dropped me. editors, the new one, Kevin Sessums. He was alone, buying a picture of a girl with cleavage, which was odd (research materials $210). Then they dropped me.
Then I heard that Martin died. He died in his new apartment that he got in the Village with all the money they raised for him at that benefit at the Pyramid. He bought whatever he wanted. He was such a sweet kid, and so friendly and generous. With his affection, too, he was generous.
Tuesday, December 2, 1986 Worked with Rupert then the rains came and they went on all day. I asked Wilfredo to Cornelia's birthday party so he had to go home and change. Cornelia's on the cover of Spy. Worked till 8:30. Talked to Keith. There was a wake for Martin that I guess Madonna was giving. It was too hard to get around, though, so I skipped all that. Put black tie on, and Wilfredo picked me up and we went to Cornelia's and it was such a horrible party (cab $8). They treated Wilfredo badly, he had to sit on the side and I was next to Tony Peck. He said he'd been on a cruise with Dianne Brill and when I just asked if he f.u.c.ked her he got upset, I don't know why.
Wednesday, December 3, 1986 Stuart picked me up after work and we went down to an anatomy cla.s.s on East 23rd Street because they were cutting up cadavers and it was formaldehyde and one was hanging by its head and one was on its back. The skin was half on and half off and art students were drawing the muscles. It was just disgusting.
Friday, December 5, 1986 Archie and Amos were sick last night. Jed picked them up and took them to the doctor's. Ran into him later, he was with Katy Jones, and he was talking about what was wrong with the dogs. They're just really getting old. I told Jed I'd give him one of the Dog paintings. Life's so short and a dog's life is even shorter-they'll both be going to heaven soon.
Sunday, December 7, 1986 Stuart said he'd take me to the Liz Taylor night at his art school. Joseph Papp had rented the building for the night-it was the Creo Society organizing a benefit for AIDS. Stuart thought it was black tie and then he was the only one in black tie so he looked like a waiter. There was an hour of c.o.c.ktails first at Papp's place next door in the Public Theater, and then they put up a plastic sidewalk for the people to get to Stuart's school, and they had it done up so beautifully with flowers and food. I told Stuart to just look at what his dump could really look like. And the first people I saw were Anne Ba.s.s and Peter Martins and Jock Soto. And I stiffened because I'd eaten so much garlic and I didn't want to breathe on anybody.
Leonard Bernstein was there, and he cried. He always cries. He's such a weirdo. The Hamlisch guy played, and Eileen Farrell was singing and Marilyn Home and Linda Ronstadt and a guy sang "Ave Maria" in be-bop or rap or rock and roll and it was like an Ed Sullivan Show Ed Sullivan Show. And there were no speeches because Liz Taylor didn't show up. A New York Times New York Times reporter asked me what I thought of the performance and I said why didn't these stars do this show on Broadway because most of them were out of work-that since there's no more reporter asked me what I thought of the performance and I said why didn't these stars do this show on Broadway because most of them were out of work-that since there's no more Ed Sullivan Ed Sullivan we don't ever see them all anymore. And then Papp came over and he said oh no, these people are much too big to work on Broadway, that they just got together for this one special night. And I mean, how can you be "big" if you're we don't ever see them all anymore. And then Papp came over and he said oh no, these people are much too big to work on Broadway, that they just got together for this one special night. And I mean, how can you be "big" if you're not working not working.
And then Bernadette Peters was there with her t.i.ts hanging out of her dress and I had already said h.e.l.lo but Stuart wanted to meet her, he insisted, and so I interrupted her and he started talking and then his violining fingers started moving all over her and as much happened as she'd let happen. And Stuart's standing there with so much tension, he said to her, "Can I give you a ride?" and she said, "No thanks, darling, I have my own car."
Monday, December 8,1986 Cab to the West Side to Dr. Li ($4) and did my business there.
Then Paige was having a ballet lunch at the office (cab $5, newspapers $2). Anne Ba.s.s was coming with Peter Martins and Heather Watts and Ulrik Trojaborg and Bruce Padgett. And they want me to design a curtain and a poster and I should've told them to talk to Fred. I won't be able to do anything with that little gold Noguchi lion medallion that Peter Martins brought to show me-if that's what they want, they should just have Noguchi Noguchi do something. But if they want do something. But if they want me me to do something it should be more American. to do something it should be more American.
Oh, and Jock said that after the AIDS thing Sunday night, the reason they didn't go to Indochine was because Mercedes Kellogg and Sid Ba.s.s go there so Anne Ba.s.s didn't want to run into them, so they went to Nell's.
Fred came in with Mary Boone in her fur coat and she wants me to go with her gallery, I didn't talk to Fred yet about what they talked about at the lunch. She sits there and smiles. The Ileana Sonnabend kind of smile.
And Fred after another fight last week that I guess I forgot to talk about, with Paige and everything, he called me and said that he decided to change, and so he's done a ninety-degree turn and he's trying to be a different person.
Tuesday, December 9, 1986 Tony picked me up and we went to the chiropractor that Prudential Insurance wanted me to see. Our office health insurance company. He was in an old hotel on West 72nd Street on the second floor (cab $4). And the guy didn't believe in vitamins, he didn't believe in anything. He had fifteen framed things on the wall but I don't know what they could've been for. I lied about my age on the insurance thing, I said I was born (laughs) (laughs) in 1949. And then later Stuart told me it's a federal offense. in 1949. And then later Stuart told me it's a federal offense.
Watched Letterman Letterman and G.o.d, I hate it when he puts his tongue in his teeth and tries to be and G.o.d, I hate it when he puts his tongue in his teeth and tries to be handsome for the camera handsome for the camera. It's like he doing whaf he does when he s home looking in the mirror.
Wednesday, December 10, 1986 I thought I was going to have to take photos of Tatum in the morning for the portrait I'm doing so I lugged all the camera stuff home and everything but then when I called her it was too difficult for her to schedule, she said why didn't we wait until after Aspen. I think the O'Neal family is probably a really stupid family where the father just happened to make it big in one movie. Because here's this little girl who thinks she's so smart, she just thinks she's so intelligent. And when she was a little girl she was advanced, but...
A portrait guy came to the office in the afternoon and he was one of those cigar-smoking guys who talks about himself and looks fresh, like he's just come out of a gym. About fifty-five. Like what Mike Todd probably looked like.
The other day Victor sounded so sick I thought he had the magic disease, but yesterday he sounded fine, totally recovered. I think Elsa Peretti's dropping lumps of money into his account. He knows when not to go overly too far. I guess he's bored living out in East Hampton. He has a whole house there for $1,500 a month. He's being supported in the style to which he's accustomed.
Odd people keep telling me how much they love the TV show.
Steven Greenberg had a car and we went to the ballet to see "The Nutcracker." I'd sent flowers to Heather and Jock and Ulrick... Paige did it for me. The little kids in the audience there were all so rich, in just the right clothes with the right hair and eating the right (laughs) (laughs) chocolates. They looked the way Sandy Brant would dress her kids. Jock and Heather were the leads. Heather's getting tired-looking, but she's a really good dancer. The performance was wonderful. Really, dancing is only good when the kids are fifteen and you get that skinny frail pinpoint look. chocolates. They looked the way Sandy Brant would dress her kids. Jock and Heather were the leads. Heather's getting tired-looking, but she's a really good dancer. The performance was wonderful. Really, dancing is only good when the kids are fifteen and you get that skinny frail pinpoint look.
Thursday, December 11, 1986 Tony didn't pick me up. I wish I could figure out how in his mind he decides when he's going to and when he's not. Walked the streets and it was a nice vigorous walk. Stopped in at B. Altman's and it was so jammed for a change. For once it looked like they were really doing business, and so many salespeople wanted to help me I had to get out of there.
Corice Arman called about helping me get a French visa. I mean, those French are so awful, making only the Americans get them and they let everybody else in the world right in. The office was busy, worked around there. It began to rain and snow and get really horrible out.
I went to Liza's husband Mark Gero's opening at the Weintraub Gallery, which is just a small gallery. Liza was upstairs getting photographed. Then I picked up Paige at 8:30 and we went over to Liza's apartment on East 69th Street for the party. And there was a big crowd. Halston was there, and Calvin and Kelly and Steve Rubell. And Bob Colacello was really nice, just saying how he'd gotten so much training at Interview Interview and how it did so much for his writing. He had the breath he gets when he drinks, so I and how it did so much for his writing. He had the breath he gets when he drinks, so I guess guess he's drinking again. Like champagne fermenting. he's drinking again. Like champagne fermenting.
Liza had people from Vogue Vogue and and Details Details and and Vanity Fair Vanity Fair there so she was doing her best to publicize Mark's paintings. And the paintings used to look like sensual v.a.g.i.n.as, but now they look like they're having trouble. They're holes with blood around them and they've got names like "Death of a Baby." It's like Liza's life. there so she was doing her best to publicize Mark's paintings. And the paintings used to look like sensual v.a.g.i.n.as, but now they look like they're having trouble. They're holes with blood around them and they've got names like "Death of a Baby." It's like Liza's life.
And Steve Aronson was there and he was fun, carrying on about how he didn't get his Christmas bottle of champagne from Interview Interview in 1977. And Ethel Scull was there and I said she should start living it up and she said she was going to, soon. Ethel's either had too much of a facelift or
Paige and I talked about our blind-date dinner the night before and n.o.body made out except Steven Greenberg. Tama's date, Amos and Archie's vet, Dr. Kritsick, did nothing but complain to her-that his book didn't make money, that his pipe had a leak in it-everything. And Paige's date overcomplimented her, and mine, well... I think my dates on these things should be good talkers who can entertain the table because I don't talk and Paige doesn't talk and Tama doesn't and it gets so boring.
I told Steve Aronson he should write the real Revlon story, the story of the three Lachman wives-Ruth, Rita, and Jaquine-and he said that was a good idea.
And Calvin and Halston were sitting on the same chair, so cozy. It was odd, and then Calvin said wouldn't it be fun to go to Halston's, a gas, and so we all got into cars and we went over there and d.i.c.k Cavett came, he was at the party with Bianca. And Bianca looked a little fat in the bottom but she said she was thin. And she was looking her age. I don't know what the age is is, but she was looking it.
Friday, December 12, 1986 Thomas Ammann called and told me I had a running invitation to Gstaad for Christmas, that was nice. Nick Rhodes called and wanted to go to dinner. I was seeing Keith and Kenny and Ann Magnuson. Nick and Julie Anne wanted to eat so early, though. They were insisting on 7:30 and we finally made it 8:00 (cab $5). Went to Mr. Chow's and of course Nick and Julie Anne didn't get there until 9:00 or 9:15. Ann agreed to do a four-minute thing about art and fas.h.i.+on for our TV show. Then all the wives-Julie Anne and Teresa-got up and went to Nell's in one car, knowing the husbands would have to follow, they wanted to kick up their heels, they'd been cooped up.
I walked home and there were drunks all over, falling down. It was the beginning of office parties. It was nice weather, though. Walked up Park Avenue. Benjamin had gone down in the first car with the girls. Bought magazines ($7).
Sat.u.r.day, December 13, 1986 Benjamin picked me up and we went down to Arman's on Was.h.i.+ngton Street. It was supposed to be for lunch but since I told them I don't eat lunch, there (laughs) (laughs) wasn't any and I was starved. And I got so jealous, he showed me the jewelry he's doing, he gets little hearts and redoes them in gold and glues them down. I asked him to be on our TV show. And then I got even more jealous when he told me about the dresses he's making-a "sleeve dress" all made of sleeves, a "pocket dress" all made of pockets. I mean, why couldn't I have thought of those? wasn't any and I was starved. And I got so jealous, he showed me the jewelry he's doing, he gets little hearts and redoes them in gold and glues them down. I asked him to be on our TV show. And then I got even more jealous when he told me about the dresses he's making-a "sleeve dress" all made of sleeves, a "pocket dress" all made of pockets. I mean, why couldn't I have thought of those?
In his drawings he repeats images, but not in his paintings. And he's doing paintings now that are just brushstrokes across. But I always wonder if he copies Cesar. Cesar was the artist in the fifties and sixties, a short French guy, the one who made the big hands you sit in and things like that. He's still alive. He did the plastic that got bigger and bigger and looked like p.o.o.p and he sold it by the piece. I wish I'd thought of that. I was thinking about that dress that I made for that Rizzoli show that was called "Fantasy in Fas.h.i.+on"-the one in the early seventies. My thing in it was a dress made out of sewn-together pieces of designer clothes. Somebody wore it to a ball eventually. But the timing was just too early I guess, because the bluejean jacket thing a few weeks ago at Barneys for the AIDS benefit, that was sort of the same thing. Corice set it up for me to get a French visa.
I took Benjamin to lunch, the lady cut the sandwich in half and it fell on the floor and she laughed, and I don't know if she charged me for it ($19). We ate in the car on the way to the studio. Paige was meeting me there before we went down to Dennis Hopper's show at Tony Shafrazi's gallery.
And Dennis's show, the photographs were nothing special, I guess Tony just wanted publicity with a movie star. Met Keith and Kenny there, they were fun. Paige was peeved when she took a picture of Keith and then he said (laughs) (laughs), "Oh Andy, why don't you you sign this for me?" Matt Dillon was there with a blonde girl who looked like a young Diane Lane. Diane Lane's only like twenty, but this girl was even younger. Everybody kept telling Dennis how great he was in sign this for me?" Matt Dillon was there with a blonde girl who looked like a young Diane Lane. Diane Lane's only like twenty, but this girl was even younger. Everybody kept telling Dennis how great he was in Blue Velvet Blue Velvet. I tried to get him to be on our TV show but he was leaving town the next day.
Monday, December 15, 1986 Tony was coming to pick me up but I didn't know he was coming with a car. I don't know how he decides these things, he's very abstract, there's no pattern. John Powers called, he's back from j.a.pan, he said he had a new magic watch that has a crystal instead of a battery, but he sounds older all the time so I don't know if these crystals work. It's funny about voices, Diana Vreeland still has a young voice. Strong.
Keith was putting down Schnabel, saying that he sat himself right down next to Dennis Hopper at Tony Shafrazi's dinner for Dennis over the weekend and then made the speech about Dennis although he didn't even know him.
Oh, and Dennis told me the other night that they cut the scene out of Blue Velvet Blue Velvet where he rapes Dean Stockwell or Dean Stockwell rapes him and there's lipstick on somebody's a.s.s. where he rapes Dean Stockwell or Dean Stockwell rapes him and there's lipstick on somebody's a.s.s.
Then went up to the Metropolitan Museum for the s.h.i.+seido party. I guess maybe they funded the Vreeland costume show and so then they got to give a party there. They had two big Flower paintings of mine. Peach with black outlines. One was a gift from Peter Brant and one was a gift from Irving Blum who I didn't even know had one. The museum should get all all of them-I mean, that's how they're supposed to be- of them-I mean, that's how they're supposed to be-all together.
Then from the museum Steven Greenberg gave us a ride down to the first party at the Tunnel on Twelfth Avenue and 28th Street, the club that's built in the tunnel of some abandoned railroad tracks. I'm the one that told the Bonjour jeans guy to just keep the name the "Tunnel." And it was fun there, good music and Glorious Food. Serge the Glorious headwaiter came over and said hi. Haoui was the doorman, Rudolf was there, it's a great building.
Ian Schrager was there but he walked out of one of my pictures. I guess he didn't want to be photographed at somebody else's club. He was in this beautiful blue suit and tie, and he's gained some weight, so he's got that hefty, stocky, prosperous look. Handsome. Like James Caan. Steve Rubell was in a business suit the other night saying, "I'm still in my business clothes, I just closed a deal."
Talked to Stuart. He said that this one guy was giving so much of his time to do charity work for Stuart's school, but I told him, "Look, there's a reason reason a person will give up so much time, it's not for nothing-either he's down there using your phones or he's getting away from his wife or he's using your limousine or he's drinking up your liquor-it's always a person will give up so much time, it's not for nothing-either he's down there using your phones or he's getting away from his wife or he's using your limousine or he's drinking up your liquor-it's always something something, it's never for nothing."
Tuesday, December 16, 1986 I was picked up by Tony and had to go to Schnabel's. He drove me to West 11th Street, to his huge studio. So huge. And a balcony and a roof. And he has beautiful girl secretaries answering the phone and I asked him if Jacqueline got jealous and he said, "You have to have beautiful boys and girls working for you." He's still making his plate paintings so I guess that's what's selling. And he gets on the phone and says, "Dahling! Come right down!" and it'll be Al Pacino who's tearing himself away from Diane Keaton to come down and see him him. Or it'll be Dustin Hoffman.
And the secretaries say things to him like, "You can either see your editor at Random House at 2:44 and get out by 3:32 or at 3:46 and get out by 4:34," and Julian says, "I will take the 2:44."
And he's painting over beautiful j.a.panese backgrounds and ruining them. And he's got tarpaulins with words glued on them and he says, "These are from my San Salvadorean exposition."
It was the most pretentious afternoon I've ever had. And I left there completely convinced I should buy a Schnabel. Fred thinks so, too. I told Julian I'd give him a ride uptown and we went outside and there's a limousine parked and he's striding toward it and I said, "Uh, Julian, that's not my car," and I pointed to Tony in the little j.a.panese one. So we dropped me off, and I said Julian could "have the car"-I was grand and Tony took him where he was going.
Wednesday, December 17, 1986 So Tony picked me up and we went to Rockefeller Center and I had my photograph taken for my visa. Then we went to Calvin Klein's to drop off his wedding present. Went to the office office. It was busy there. Lisa Robinson was interviewing Ric Ocasek. Gael came in and said they were doing Charlie Sheen for the February cover. Greg Gorman shot him already and they're doing the second half of the interview today. I have the feeling he won't marry Dolly.
Ric didn't want to be on our video. And Ann Magnuson is weird, she'd said she would be our emcee for the show and now she isn't even sure she wants to do a little thing on art and fas.h.i.+on. I don't understand her-she does all these free things downtown and then she won't do something when we're trying to help her.
And Gael called Sydney Biddle Barrows and asked her would she be a "Christmas present" for Steven Greenberg and she was insulted and said how dare you. I mean, I'd said to Gael, "What makes you think she'd do that?" It's like if somebody was arrested for selling secrets and they got off and then you asked them, "Could you steal a secret for me, too?" I mean, what did Gael say say to to her? her? "Since you're a wh.o.r.e "Since you're a wh.o.r.e anyway anyway..." And Gael had been saying, "She'll do it for me, she'll do it for me." I mean, just because Gael had Cris Alexander photograph her in a good light for..." And Gael had been saying, "She'll do it for me, she'll do it for me." I mean, just because Gael had Cris Alexander photograph her in a good light for Interview Interview doesn't mean she'll give a freebie. doesn't mean she'll give a freebie.
And I'm letting the Caffe Roma use my name as a host for New Year's Eve.
Sunday, December 21, 1986 Jed called and said he'd rushed Amos to the hospital over the weekend because he had a bad toothache, and I felt terrible, I didn't see this coming. By 3:00 he was still waiting to have three teeth out. Dr. Kritsick gave Jed the name of a doctor who works twenty-four hours. They said it was a bad case, but I didn't even notice anything was wrong.
Didn't get out of the house until 4:00 and went over to church. Stuart picked me up and we went to the flea market but couldn't find any fleas.
Then John Gruen and his wife, Jane Wilson the painter, were having a retirement party for Ulrik who's moving to an executive position at the New York City Ballet. Went over to the West Side to that (cab $4). Everybody was so friendly to each other it was like we're not part of this crowd. Heather said right in front of Peter Martins that she was so tired of seventeen years of waiting for him to give her a band. And Anne Ba.s.s is in Texas.
Monday, December 22, 1986 Went to Dr. Li (cab $4, newspapers $2, phone $.50, cab $6). Read the newspapers, pa.s.sed out interviews interviews., and went to the office office. I decided to get involved with the covers. Gael came by my room to say how great she is. This cover of Charlie Sheen is by Greg Gorman, and he did the pictures inside, too, and it's the same old thing, a nice face and nice clothes. But Charlie kisses so well that I wanted something different, like him kissing a girl, and we could still use the same pictures inside, but just something different for the cover and Gael said that she'd been looking at Weegee things, that she wants a new look, too.
The office was busy. Fred's agitated, he was going to go to Paris a day or two early to get away from Christmas, he hates it. He saw me doing a business gift list and yelled at me that we weren't a regular office and that I did not have to do boring things like that and that he wanted me to stop it that very moment. So I said (laughs) (laughs), "Okay."
And the bigger the box, the less the present, I've noticed this year.
Rupert drove me home. Then Sam called and wanted to go out so I met him at Nippon (cab $5, dinner $50) and talked about what work he should be doing at the office. And it's so funny, I made up things and accused him. Like of attacking somebody in the corridor, and it turned out to be true! true! He began admitting things, saying, "It was pure s.e.x." But maybe he was kidding. It was like He began admitting things, saying, "It was pure s.e.x." But maybe he was kidding. It was like Dynasty Dynasty, people overhearing people in the hallways. I actually said (laughs) (laughs), "I heard you in the hallway."
Tuesday, December 23, 1986 Fred cancelled his trip to Europe, he finally got in the Christmas spirit. And he loved the two cast-iron disks I got him that were from the West Side Highway. I got them at Doyle's. Maybe I should go back and get more. The kid there likes me, and he gives me things really cheap. They have the best fabrics there, antique fabrics. I should've gotten Fred a lot of those. And Fred gave me a great book, an old one on beautiful Greek statues, for my new paintings. Paige and Fred are the best of friends now. He gave in and she gave in. I got Paige something she really loved, I guess, because she squealed, and it was just a book on Clemente. But the book was just an extra-I owe Paige a lot of money. I hope she doesn't think I've forgotten (phone $2, newspaper $2, cab $7).
Thursday, December 25, 1986 I got up early and walked to Paige's and she and Stephen Sprouse and I went to the Church of the Heavenly Rest to pa.s.s out interviews interviews. and feed the poor. It wasn't as crowded as it was at Thanksgiving. Afterwards Stephen and I walked down the street, and I had told John Reinhold we'd come by and he could take us to tea and he did, at the Carlyle, and that was sort of, I don't know, young guys waiting for their grandmothers to die. Stephen dropped me. Got a lot of calls to go to Christmas parties but I just decided to stay in and 1 loved it.
Sunday, December 28, 1986 The day before I watched a great show on something like channel J. It was (laughs) (laughs) a n.o.body interviewing three other n.o.bodies. One said she was a friend of Milton Berle's and she was in every chorus of every movie you could ever think of. And then there was another one who was also in the choruses and she would say, "I played the Red Room of the Downstairs Club, and the Blue Corner of the Uptown Spot," things like that. It was so sad. Then she'd say, "Show thepicture, show the picture, that's the one they're going to use when they use me...." And there was a black girl who sang off key, oh it was sad. a n.o.body interviewing three other n.o.bodies. One said she was a friend of Milton Berle's and she was in every chorus of every movie you could ever think of. And then there was another one who was also in the choruses and she would say, "I played the Red Room of the Downstairs Club, and the Blue Corner of the Uptown Spot," things like that. It was so sad. Then she'd say, "Show thepicture, show the picture, that's the one they're going to use when they use me...." And there was a black girl who sang off key, oh it was sad.
And I finally saw Debbie Harry's video that was made in L.A., she's at the Beverly Hills pool and she didn't wear the camouflage dress that we made for her, the Stephen Sprouse thing. I guess the director didn't want her to wear it, and it would've been so good. My ambition if I were to really go and have a facelift and everything would be to come out like Debbie. Her song grows on you, "French Kissing."
I had leaking water and went into a closet and in it were the dresses I'd bought at the Joan Crawford auction in 1977 and it turns out that the label on one says Nolan Miller! Can you believe it? The Dynasty Dynasty designer! And now I do remember that at the auction I'd said, "Whoever heard of this n.o.body?" So now I would like to write to him and say I'll sell it back to him for like $4,000. We'll find out what he sells a Joan Collins dress for and make it for that amount. The others don't have labels, but they all look the same so I'm sure they're all Nolans. designer! And now I do remember that at the auction I'd said, "Whoever heard of this n.o.body?" So now I would like to write to him and say I'll sell it back to him for like $4,000. We'll find out what he sells a Joan Collins dress for and make it for that amount. The others don't have labels, but they all look the same so I'm sure they're all Nolans.
Monday, December 29, 1986 Benjamin picked me up and we went to the West Side to Dr. Li. I told her to get me off some of these vitamins she's got me on but she gave me six new vitamin pills and I don't know if she took me off any. I think all the vitamins I'm taking may be what's making me have so much trouble sleeping. Over the holidays, for two days, I finally did get sleep and one day I even slept till 10:45. And on those days I did feel rested. But usually when I wake up in the morning I feel aches and pains. And I am am addicted to Valium. It's only a quarter of one that I take at night, but when I was really trying for over a month not to take any, I felt lightheaded and that's a withdrawal symptom. So I started again. addicted to Valium. It's only a quarter of one that I take at night, but when I was really trying for over a month not to take any, I felt lightheaded and that's a withdrawal symptom. So I started again.
Wednesday, December 31, 1986 Went to Bernsohn's alone, got cured for a moment, walked downtown (phone $2, newspapers $2). Paige was upset there were no good-looking boys coming along on our New Year's Eve party, and her excuse is always that we need to find somebody for Tama, but she wants to meet them, too. I don't know why Paige has us doing all this for Tama-"We have to find Tama a boyfriend." Why? I mean, everybody in town town needs a boyfriend. The whole needs a boyfriend. The whole world world needs a boyfriend. Anyway, so Stephen Sprouse was coming. Poor Stephen, they're even after needs a boyfriend. Anyway, so Stephen Sprouse was coming. Poor Stephen, they're even after him him, I think, and he's scared.
Worked till 7:45. The ballet kids came down and I took their pictures. It's so funny that when you look really close you see that Heather Watts actually has a sort of deformed body-and she's the number-one ballerina in New York. And her nose is too big and it may have been fixed from being even bigger, but her eyes are really beautiful. They're like gorgeous movie-star eyes, the kind with the dark circle around the blue.
So Steven Greenberg was giving his New Year's Eve party at the River Cafe in Brooklyn. It was black tie and I was just in my crummy scarf. We left at 11:55 and we rode over the Brooklyn Bridge and that was the most fun part of the night with Paige telling Harold the driver to honk his horn louder and Paige was doing her piercing whistle that comes from her throat and as we came over the bridge, the fireworks were going. And then Tama came in the other car and she told us that Steven and Elizabeth Ray had just had a fight, and so later I said to Steven, "So have you had a fight with Elizabeth yet?" and he said (laughs) (laughs), "No no, not yet, not yet."
And then we went to Scott Asen's house in Turtle Bay and there wasn't much happening there. Peter Martins was using the phone in the toilet and his son was just leaving-he's beautiful, he dances. And Sirio from Le Cirque was there, and we took him down to Nell's with us and he was fun. Nell took her clothes sort of off and threw herself on the table for a photograph and I told Sirio that he had to do that, too, if he wanted to make Le Cirque the really "in" place. He said his wife and kids were away so he was just on his own this New Year's. He invited us for dinner on Sunday.
Paige and Tama went on to the Tunnel, we dropped them there, and then got home around 4:00, walked the dogs, and it threw my whole day off, it was so stupid to stay out late just because it was New Year's.
Thursday, January 1, 1987 The weather was raining and awful. Stayed in and had a rest day.
Sunday, January 4, 1987 The ballet kids wanted to take us to dinner at Indochine. Paige picked me up. Stephen Sprouse was there and it was Ulrik and Jock and Bruce Padgett and Heather and Scott Asen and Julie Gruen-Peter Martins was the only one missing. It's such a wonderful group, they have everything down. And Heather said that she always thought Stephen was pa.s.sive, but that since he's started doing ballet costumes she's changed her mind. Everybody else always gave her what she wanted, she said, but when Stephen gave her her dress and she said, "Oh I don't want this," he told her, "You're going to get what I say you get." So she liked that and now she wants to marry him. So that's another girl who's after him. Heather paid.
Monday, January 5, 1986 There's a cable news show that I see at 5:30 in the morning when I get up to pee that's good. I don't know what it is I'm allergic to. Dr. Linda Li says it may be the paint I use, but I'm hardly ever near it now. I think it's something in this house. Or maybe it's something in the buildings on either side of me, maybe radiation from the doctor's building. Maybe it's the teddy-bear coat I sleep in, although the label says it's all cotton, I don't know. It's Armani. I somehow feel it might have a little polyester, it has that fuzzy feeling. And I also sleep under the Larissa leather coat that Jane Holzer gave me, it's so great. Jane keeps saying I never wear it and I tell her I wear it every night.
Paige picked me up and we went to the St. Regis for the Adolfo show. The clothes are beautiful but it's so abstract to me that somebody should copy Chanel suits for years, that you'd make a career out of copying somebody else's suit. It's been decades and it's still the same suit. There was a tall lady next to us and I didn't smile at her or anything, I didn't know who it was, and then later I realized it was Evangeline Bruce. There were so many ladies there that I just should be doing portraits of, just every one was one of those rich ladies. And they still have all their energy from not having hard lives.
You know, Heather Watts is so interesting. She's in this "reading group" that Anne Ba.s.s is in, they all read the same book every month and then they meet and discuss it. And it's all these rich ladies like Brooke Astor and Mrs. Rupert Murdoch and Drue Heinz. And they meet at a different member's house every week with the butlers and cooks and maids, and Heather says she's the only poor one and that she's the only one who reads the books. She dropped out of school at fifteen. And you know how vivacious she is, she said she heard about Anne Ba.s.s's group at a party and she said, "I want to be in it! I want to be in it!" Heather can't wait for the group to have to come to her loft and they'll all sit on the floor.
Then Paige and I went to the Robert Miller Gallery and the show of my photographs looks absolutely great. Terrific. The catalogue looks good but Stephen Koch's essay throws in the same old names like Duchamp and Bra.s.sai. Bra.s.sai!!! And if they'd had some young person do it it would've been different names and fresher.
I decided not to go out and just rest up and be fresh for the opening of the show.
Tuesday, January 6, 1987 Everybody wanted to give me their limo-Steven Greenberg, Stuart Pivar, the glamour days-and Paige gave the gallery fifty more people to call and invite at the last minute. Had a full day at work. Got to the gallery at 5:00 and then there was only a scattering of people, but it got to be more and more and I worked myself to death. The show looked great. Then we went to dinner with Steven Greenberg and then I went home and went to bed early, I thought I would shake this cold, but then Jean Michel called at 3:00 in the morning and I talked to him and it just ruined my sleep.
Oh, and I've just been watching the new Joan Rivers show a few times and it's just only about s.e.x all the time-so boring.
Wednesday, January 7, 1987 Lost my cold when I went to Bernsohn in the morning. I walked in and didn't tell him I had a one but he said I felt congested and then he worked on me and for the first time used a lot of crystals on me like the long skinny ones and for the first time I really completely totally believed in it, because my cold was absolutely gone when I left there. And he said to me, "Do you mind if I raise my price $10?" And I said, "yes!" I mean, he's telling me about all the clothes and records he's buying. And so he said, "Well, then how about $5?" And I said, "Well, what can I say?"
Thursday, January 8, 1987 Sam told me gossip about Fred that I'm not supposed to know. He wrote a letter to Nell apologizing for pulling his pants down there. And then I also heard that one night at Area he took out his c.o.c.k and was standing there like one of the installations until somebody realized it.
Paige was in a really bad mood because I had Sam dial her number and make the arrangements to go to the Mary Tyler Moore play that Barry Tubbs is in-she came over and said that she didn't want my little messengerettes calling her for me. She really has another personality when she wants to, she can really be mean.
Oh, and Len Morgan came back from his ten-day cruise with Thurn und Taxis so he was answering the phones. And the prince still makes up stories about me. He told Len that once I said to him, "If you're supposed to be so exciting, do something exciting," and that then I stepped on his toes. Which I don't remember at all.
Went to the theater (cab $4). Lynn Redgrave is a good actress because she played down her role to give Mary Tyler Moore the stage. And the other young guy in the play showed his c.o.c.k and then afterwards at the party his parents said how (laughs) (laughs) proud they were of him. proud they were of him.
Friday, January 9, 1987 I'm deciding when to go to Milan. My show is the Thursday after next.
Fell asleep with MTV on and had rock-video nightmares.
Sunday, January 11, 1987 Pee-Wee Herman is being sued for $130,000 because he didn't pay his (laughs) (laughs) video bill. His whole show's all video effects. video bill. His whole show's all video effects.
These two kids have been ringing my doorbell all weekend. A boy and a girl. I guess they saw me come in and there's been n.o.body in the house with me-Nena and Aurora were away-and it's creepy. I just don't answer.
Went to church, then Paige called and said she'd pick me up for the ballet (cab $5). The ballets were great. "Symphony in C" which I haven't seen in years, and then two Jerome Robbins ones. We had Peter Martins's seats. Jock and Heather were up there just flying around. And they said I could photograph the company for as long as I want, so I'm going to start that.
Anne Ba.s.s wasn't at the ballet but she came to the dinner afterwards that Paige had arranged at Baton. And Paige and I are fighting. She keeps making these digs about Jean Michel, she said, "Are you starting up your gay affair again with Jean Michel?" and so I got my dig in and said, "Listen, I wouldn't go to bed with him because he's so dirty, and I can't believe that anyone would. I mean, you're you're the one who had the affair with a dirty, unwashed person." And then we had a fight about Eizo and s.h.i.+atsu because her guy went on vacation so she's been using Eizo and she asked me if he ever did a thing on my stomach and she described how he'd put his hands and was shaking it and she got nervous and took his hand away, and so I said, "No, but he told me how fat you are"-I was kidding-and so she said, "Okay, that does it, I'm not using him anymore." And then I tried to tell her he the one who had the affair with a dirty, unwashed person." And then we had a fight about Eizo and s.h.i.+atsu because her guy went on vacation so she's been using Eizo and she asked me if he ever did a thing on my stomach and she described how he'd put his hands and was shaking it and she got nervous and took his hand away, and so I said, "No, but he told me how fat you are"-I was kidding-and so she said, "Okay, that does it, I'm not using him anymore." And then I tried to tell her he didn't didn't say she was fat, but she wouldn't believe me. say she was fat, but she wouldn't believe me.
And Peter Martins who commissioned me to do the ballet curtain, he actually does does have great ideas. I didn't think so before but now I do. He talked to Stephen Sprouse about the Touch Tag thing where the kids who play football use clothes with Velcro so that instead of tackling and wearing shoulder pads, they have to tear the Velcro off, so they're working on the "Fluorescent Orange" ballet, and then the kids thought of fluorescent snow. have great ideas. I didn't think so before but now I do. He talked to Stephen Sprouse about the Touch Tag thing where the kids who play football use clothes with Velcro so that instead of tackling and wearing shoulder pads, they have to tear the Velcro off, so they're working on the "Fluorescent Orange" ballet, and then the kids thought of fluorescent snow.
And when Ulrik told me he hadn't had time that night to walk his dog, I used Heather's aggressive personality and I said, "Why didn't you just put the dog on stage and have him do it there and no one would notice." And I was telling everyone about my idea for a "Shower" ballet that I've always had-nude dancers getting into the shower after a heavy dance number and then shaking the water off on the audience.
The ballet kids were quiet at first but after ten gla.s.ses of wine they were really funny. And Stephen Sprouse was showing how he writes backwards, he's so clever and he had such beautiful writing. And then something really surreal happened. A busload of eight-year-olds came into this restaurant, about fifty of them, and filled it up, at the bar and everyplace. And we asked them what they were doing there and they said they were going from bar to bar researching a school paper. It got really loud and noisy. They said they were going on to Nell's.
Monday, January 12, 1987 Sean Lennon came down. I'm doing a portrait of him every year, one a year. And he was fun. Went to Castellano's for dinner (cab $6) with David Whitney, but without Philip who was off having dinner with some swells. And David still reminds me that he wants us to get married, and now that I hear how many Jasper Johnses he has, it would be really worth it. He's doing the David Salle show at the Whitney. He said that Jasper fell out of a tree at La Samanna but that he just broke a wrist. He and Rauschenberg have given up drinking so I guess they'll live forever.