Keith haring journals (art ebook) by ART SF BLOG

JOURNALS

INTRODUCTION BY

ROBERT FARRIS

THOMPSON

U.S.

$27.95

Canada $35.00

unowned

his lifetime for sponhands-on, archetypal Haring was Keith embraced by a street audience while also winning the respect of the art establishment during his prolific and regrettably brief ten-year career. His journals, kept from his teens until just before his death from Air.£ in V ju. dispel any lingering notion of him -s a "naive" an^ist, and reveal him to be a G^nsc>-n + ;ou serious, visionary artist, comto e ^ending the boundaries of art.

v IP"^VA

taneous, imagery,

;

ere

his

own words— illustrated

unpublished drawings from his notebooks is Haring's record of the evolution o* his work, f n on-the-road notes and early ideas about art, to School of Visual Arts previously

v'th

—

exp^iiiner.tfe ings,

Ua u.

I-

o early subway chalk drawcolor canvases, outdoor

-;ale

murals, collaborative public art projects with childrei

and

massive suburban steel sculptures

\-:n. ..„nal

exhibitions.

trark his

emergence

pop con,

his hectic

into

and

The journals

world fame as a

colorful social

life in

New

York scene, and his friendships with Andy Warhol, Timothy Leary, William S. 3urroughs and other writers, musicians and artists. Haring documents his efforts to bring art and everyday life closer through the jversial Pop Shop, which remains a vital legacy of his work. Later entries show him expanding his understanding of what the role of the artis should be, trying to deal with his entry into the commercial world and pop culture, ana coming to accept his impending death from AIDS: "Work is all have and art is more imp 3rtant than life." the

oert Farris Thompson's lively d provocative introduction sit lates Haring in relation to the ar

art historical establishment,

shows the

intellectual

and

underpinnings of his

work, including he influence of such painters 1

as Leger, Alechinsky, Dubuffet,

and

Stella, Pollock,

Olitski.

0796

Copiey Square

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2012

http://www.archive.org/details/keithharingjournOOhari

KEITH HARING JOURNALS

#»»%

KEITH HARING JOURNALS WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY

Robert Farris Thompson

PREFACE BY David Hockney

VIKING

VIKING Published by the Penguin

Penguin Books

Group

USA Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York

Penguin Books Ltd. 27 Wrights Lane, London

10014, U.S.A.

W8 5TZ, England

Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia

Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182-190 Wairau Road, Auckland 10,

M4V 3B2

New Zealand

Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: Harmondsworth. Middlesex, England published in 1996 by Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books

First

USA

Inc.

Introduction copyright

Grateful

acknowledgment

Poem ("Taking pictures Excerpt from

lyric

("By the waterside

Excerpt froin

made

for

permission

to reprint die

will lay

lyric ("Is the

following copyrighted works:

By permission of Allen Ginsberg

of the sky") by Allen Ginsberg.

head") by Robert Hunter. Copyright

& Associates.

1971 Ice Nine Publishing Company.

Inc.

image I'm making") by Graham Nash. By permission of Graham Nash.

Illustration credits

appear on pages 292-294.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA Haring. Keith Keith Haringjournals

with an introduction by Robert Farris

Thompson; foreword by David Hockney.

cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 0-670-84774-7 1.

Haling. Keith

Diaries. 2. Artists— United States— Diaries.

N6537.H348A2 709".2-dc20 This book

Title.

1996

95-43289

printed on acid-free paper.

in the

Set in

United States of America

Monotype Bulmei

Designed

Without limiting the

rights

!>n

Brian Mulligan

under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored

into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in an} form or by any

therwise), without

tin pi i"i written

means

in or

introduced

(electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording

permission ofboth the copyright owner ami the above publisher of this book.

CONTENTS A Note on Sources

Foreword by David H o ckne y Introduction by Robert F arris Thompson

1977

1978

1979

1980

1982

1983

1984

1986

1987

113

1988

205

1989

231

1990-1995

279

Major Collections

291

List of Illustrations

292

Notes

295

Index

297

NOTE ON SOURCES

It is

clear

from Keith Haring's comments

mately be read by others.

left

in his journals that

he expected they would

dozens of handwritten notebooks, with

line drawings,

work

in progress to

containing a wide range of material— from extended thoughts on

minimal notations, sketches, quotes, and reading trated

his

life

in the peaceful sanctuary result. In

some

continuity.

Julia

Sometimes the writing concen-

became

increasingly

complex he wrote

less

life.

his

frequently— often

of airplanes— and there are substantial chronological gaps as a

instances material he wrote for other purposes has been inserted to aid in

The

editing

and publication of these journals was

initiated

Gruen and David Stark of The Keith Haring Foundation, with

tor Ellen

are

lists.

work, other times on relationships and the events of his daily

career took off and his

ulti-

and overseen by

the assistance of edi-

Williams and Viking Penguin editor David Stanford. For ease of reading there

ellipses to indicate

material in the finished

where material has been

book

reflect

Haring's

punctuation have been corrected throughout.

own

left

out. Ellipses

usage.

Obvious

and arrangement of

errors of spelling

and

FOREWORD David H o

devoted

k n e y

a few times in his early career, through

met Keith Haring

was impressed with spirit

his

to his

images and his dedication as an

work. As his work grew,

Henry Geldzahler.

friend

artist.

He seemed

was more impressed with

to exploit a strong graphic style with great invention.

His work

generous

his ability

easily identified but

memorable.

These

diaries give an

his strengths

and

others or the

way they

seems

account of his professional

insecurities. Like

artists

activity,

and

reveal, like

most

artists,

I'm often surprised by the insecurities of

see them.

that his great strength

was

did not need them. (They need

museums.

tion as the

way most people saw

all,

most

it.

that the art

it.)

worked outside

He understood

galleries

and

printing and reproduc-

was Andy Warhol's

it.

(After

the intensive traveling accounted here

seems

I'm sure

this

interest in

Andy's paintings were printed!) His short

like a

route

life

seemed absolutely busy;

map drawn by

to his studio

but

seems

himself but

was

all

in the service of his

have been anywhere he stopped moving.

He left his mark everywhere. A very generous life.

work.

never went

INTRODUCTION Robert Nothing thing

r r

an end because

new and

Thompson

always can be a basis for some-

different.

— KEITH HARING JOURNALS

Keith Haring' s diaries open, on April 29, 1977, with a neo-Sinatra manifesto: "...

life

point." ful

my way and He

only

let

the other [artists] influence

swore, in other words, to

live a life

live

as a reference, a starting

of creative independence. Even

Dead concert (May 10, 1977) he was cutting through the words

at a

in a selective

Grate-

way:

In a bed, in a bed

by the waterside

will lay

head

Listen to the river sing sweet songs to

rock

my soul.

This chorus, from "Brokedown Palace," challenged Haring.

Ten Street, in

the

words down,

kind of farewell blues by Robert Hunter, slightly

years later— when Haring realized that he

Manhattan,

sweet song, he plete a

He wrote

life

let

until

changed, into his

had

AIDS— he

he reached the East River. There, before the water, and

himself weep for the longest time. Purified by

to the last full

diary.

went down Houston

moment.

this,

he went on

its

own

com-

Cut

of his diaries, mid-September 1989. Five months

to the last entries

Keith did not

know

this

sions of a major world

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he was far too busy. He was swept up in the myriad commis-

artist.

For by 1989 he was as famous as a rock in the

back

street of

Shinjuku

Tokyo;

star,

in the

with friends and admirers everywhere:

Casino and the "Dragon"

New

gium; in the hip-hop epicenters of early Eighties Palace in Lausanne; at in the Stedelijk

his

own

SOB's

Museum

SoHo;

York

Knokke, Bel-

City; at the

Beau Rivage

in a suite at the Ritz; in the

subways of New York;

of Amsterdam; in the galleries of New York; and, continually,

gleamingly neat studio on

All over the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; spontaneous

gifts

artist.

Many remember him

as did a

youth

"the nicest person he ever met in his at the

leitmotif

world there are persons with Haring buttons, Haring-

decorated T-shirts, Haring-illuminated pages torn from notebooks of the

Broadway near Great Jones.

Sometimes he got impatient, when overworked. But most of the time the

was generosity:

to live.

left

Breidenbacher

him above

all

Hof Hotel

life."

Chicago named Joe Asencios, summer 1989:

Five years

later,

the other side of the planet,

when he checked

for bellboys, staff

"He was

Erwin Gruber, the concierge, remembers

guests. Keith caused a sensation

ber remembered, commenting:

The

in Dusseldorf,

December 1989, making drawings

about him."

out of this hotel in

members, and the concierge, Gru-

a wonderful guy.

hope you say good things

last entry:

September 22, 1989. Haring writes from

Pisa, Italy,

mural on the Church of Sant' Antonio and reads the local monument art:

"the [Leaning] tower

full

moon.

It is really

remarkable.

major and also

saw

hysterical.

in daylight

where he paints

humor as well

for

and then

Every time you look

in the light of the

it, it

makes you

smile."

From life

Pittsburgh to Pisa an American spiritual odyssey unfolds, a

and mind of an

artist

who symbolized America

sands wore his T-shirts, millions knew his

our time

who

style.

document of the

in the Eighties to the world.

He was probably one of the

could cross the Atlantic on a jet and

few

Thou-

artists

see his art included in both in-flight

movies.

How did he get line

By being

restless,

"both archaic and universal and

lived longer, lar:

there?

being ceaselessly ambitious. By inventing a

futuristic (with its

computer

he would have undoubtedly moved beyond the

capacities)."

styles that

Had

"If they are representative of a specific time, then they are possibly the purest

capable of at that point, but after that point

The

text, in short, is a

we have

[to]

mirror of an extraordinary

progress.

life:

made him popu-

are

." .

creativity,

thought, and the ver-

nacular, jousting in the crucible of contemporary time. In this regard

it is

not unlike "the

Journal which Diirer kept his

memorandum

as a strictly personal

mother burst from the page

notes on the death of

midst of his financial accounts and descriptions of

in the

wayside lodgings, and we are haunted by the mixture of sketches and incomplete phrases

he jotted

down when he awoke from

a nightmare."

Haring's diaries cover similar ground, nightmares and dreams included. page, notes

art history

compete with

Romanesque — St.

On an early

a practical matter:

Pierre

Ren — Donatello (Bronze)

Early

475-6222

SAL

18 1st Ave.

3rm.apt.$150.00/mo. "Since the number of colors and forms their

combinations also are

infinite.

is infinite,

." .

— Wassily Kandinsky, Concerning The Spiritual in Art

But

the Haring journals sometimes recall Diirer in their episodic texture, they differ

from the famous diary of Andy Warhol.

The

latter's

testament

involving celebrity action

a fascinating

compound,

writing half for posterity and half for the IRS.

The journals

as a telephone

book, essentially

tabs, as if Warhol

were

of Keith Haring are richer. Reflection, self-assessment, and evidence of

growth crowd out the mere "Usually the people

who

diaristic.

are the

learned this first-hand as a

came from

fat

and precisely noted cab and restaurant

newspaper

the poorest people.

Rarely would you get a page in Warhol

most generous carrier

are people

when

was surprised by

who

was 12 years

this,

but

like this:

have the least to give.

learned

old. it

The

biggest tips

as a lesson."

Nevertheless, Haring, like Basquiat, loyally presents Warhol as his master: "Andy's life

and work made

art to exist.

He was

my work the

first

possible.

Andy

set the

precedent for the possibility for

Haring wrote these journals on planes, on the bullet ports, in a strange ting,

dragon-shaped guesthouse of patrons

he always found ways of communicating

train to

real public artist in a holistic sense

Nagoya, waiting

in air-

Belgium. Yet regardless of set-

to himself, in a cjuest for "less talk

and

more doing."

Time and circumstance sometimes savaged narrative

that ambition.

and lapses into telegraphic haikus: "Eat, champagne

There

are breaks in the

— stars — quiet — think." But

most of the time he wrote with responsibility intellectual

underpinning

to the future,

and substance of his

to the flow

demonstrating, in turn, the

Chance, he loved

art.

to say,

favors the prepared mind.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE DIARIES The

text unfolds in

two main formations, linked by

tions are rich with experience

and

practice.

call

Both forma-

a bridge in the middle.

them formations

honor the buildup

of insight and experience.

The

first

formation, 1978 to 1980, documents, essentially, a period of apprentice-

ship, or, as he himself puts to everything ...

As he works of it

all:

"Do

his

it,

"the records of a search." Haring adds: "I should be open

merely gathering information."

way through forms and

not place too

precepts, he stresses the provisional nature

much emphasis on my

current experimentation and investiga-

tions."

The power behind was able

John

the questing

was Haring's strong and vivid

and learn from the highest sources, including poets.

to select

Keats's letter to his brothers,

lence of every Art

is its

intensity,

December 1817, entered

capable of making

all

being in close relationship with Beauty and Truth."

go by a

fine isolated verisimilitude

taste.

With

taste

Two citations from "The

his journals:

excel-

disagreeables evaporate, from their

And

again: "Coleridge

would

let

caught from the Penetralium of mystery, from being

incapable of remaining Content with half knowledge." It

was a

level

of discourse that Haring wished to

call his

own â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and

did, later, with the

very finest chalked and painted figures.

Keats taught him also that poetry "should strike the reader as a wording of his highest thoughts." Noticing a hunger,

all

around him,

however advanced by technology, Haring did just

that:

for substance in

tackled the issues of his times,

the threat of thermonuclear annihilation, the obscenity of apartheid,

AIDS. He drew, ers, for variety

also,

on the need of women and men

own

communication,

for emotional

and the horror of

response from oth-

of experience, for security of the long-term sort, striking sparks with the

thoughts of his fellow

women and

his fellow

"Haring created icons of mass culture Haring ensconced

men. Jonathan Fineberg sums up

which everyone could

his visual thinking in a

this gift:

relate."

tough-minded vernacular, so

that

all

could share and understand, and see their minds reflected, in the ideal Keatsian sense.

taught himself how to talk intellectual and talk technology and

Haring sometimes drew

real issues in

concerns, while at the same time stealing

imaginary television

fire

still

sets,

from media. Doing

talk regular.

"broadcasting" his

this,

fulfilled

one of

the ambitions of his apprenticeship, "to form a situation of communication, a transformation of energy."

another

were spurs his

bottom

of major

level, the diaries reveal that retrospective exhibitions

accomplishment.

guts. For in

Rothko

they are explored and rediscovered."

him

power

retrospective, for instance, challenged

such settings he could see

how

"ideas

him

takes us with

increase in

room

into a

artists

in the National

Gallery in Washington where five Rothkos hang: "... grouping of these works in a single

room

centralized their energy

perhaps taken

and heightened

their impact. ... It

was

a solid statement,

to its fullest extent."

Haring himself was getting ready,

extent. Increasing his arsenal of formal

with different inks and papers.

Rothko,

pursue key ideas

means, he experimented with

tried cutting, as well as

pleteness, accurateness, fmalness of a cut

may

allow

to the fullest

double brush,

drawing, forms:

be more

"The com-

more sponta-

direct,

neous and therefore more interesting."

And

tried to explain to himself how frames

thought: "possibly the reason

drawing

insist

border around the area

with the scale of the painting

provided order for the tumult of his

on spending the

am about to paint is

am about

to paint.

first

few minutes of a painting

because

am familiarizing myself

am physically experiencing

the entire

perimeter of a given space."

Thoughts, borrowed and self-generated, were steadily studding his visual imagina-

Cooper Union, taught him

"Poverty means nothing to a

tion.

Beuys, in a lecture

man

with a dream." Haring, in addition, hoped that he was studying objects in the man-

ner of Matisse,

Harbinger

i.e.,

"for a long time, to

after

lines that

within

all

becomes

its

sign

is."

harbinger of what he would become crowd the pages of this

tion of his journals, like the

"There

know what

this:

day

[these] forms

take

line,

sec-

1978 when he took notes on an Egyptian drawing:

an indication of the entire object within

minimum

symbol."

Haring' s records reveal that, in a strong mixture of Keats, spective exhibitions,

first

artistic

and many, many other sources, he worked out

form, and color. Remorselessly questing, he

his

biography, retro-

own

let his creativity

philosophic

bide

its

own

sweet time.

And

then,

bam!

coalesced in a single

A all

All sides to his psyche,

all

sides to his training,

whole vocabulary of forms streamed from

freshly minted, curing, with

the apocalypse were a

invented, by

all

sides to his spirit,

week in 1980.

meaning, an age

mere matter of

means of sexual

style.

his

that

hand, hieroglyph

after hieroglyph,

dared to

post-modern, as

When

the

aliveness transmuted into line

call itself

smoke and

cleared,

gesture, a

Haring had

hundred

inter-

lacing bodies in a score of social situations. cent,

emerged soon

These were

tion, spaceships

from his hand, luminous and inno-

also

baby" and the "family dog," crawling, barking.

thereafter the "radiant

his stabilizing themes.

And

He drew them

together with images from science

and ray-guns; technology, robots, computers, and

and

television;

fic-

antiq-

pyramids and never-never canopic urns upon which he drew telephones and

uity,

pyramids and acrobatic dancers.

Haring was constantly worried about the proliferation of nuclear weapons of the Cold War. Drawing the family dog, barking

way of both expressing and dealing with

moment Amy,

as she

Hiroshima when he notices

at televised

his fears. All of

which lead

an incredible

so real and so sincere that

riveted

city in

August 1945: "The

to tears."

Babies took the sting out of feeling obsolete in the age of the smart machine.

They

who

might

healed, as well, atomic dread. Voicings of social conscience pulled in those

have balked

subway venues

best ideas of his early style

underground.

the

first

world fame, and the steps that led

The phenomenal time for writing.

we have

what

has taken

want the world

1982

called the

And

been

for air,

on May

last

life,

leaving

1982, in the Brussels airport written entry.

as he briefly returns to self-assessment minutes before

a long time since

So many things

But only

have written anything down.

lot

have been unable to write them. ... In one year

Europe and propelled me to be.

master-

emergence

FRAGMENT FROM

wry and self-conscious

things have happened. art

museum

York

it.

Haring comes up

his plane takes off: "It has

for his later

success of his personal ideographs blasted his private

When

New

a clearer reading of his

Zaventem, Belgium, two years have gone by since the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for he worked out many of the

on black advertising paper on the walls of the

part of his diaries,

BRIDGE VERSE: ZAVENTEM, MAY

for philosophic reflection

was a brave and gutsy proving ground

Now, with

pieces. into

end

photograph of President Carter's daughter,

viewed photographs of the vaporization of the

terror in her eye

at the

nuclear explosions, was a

into [the] limelight. ...

can make these

'things.'

These

don't

know

things that are

works of Keith Haring." then up, up, and away, and

scarcely hear from

him over

the next four years.

THE FINAL FORMATION: THE QUEST CONTINUES Haring takes up that artistic if he

Montreux, Switzerland, on July

his pencil again in

biography was "probably

my main

source of education," he told himself that

did not return to his journals the rest of his

airline tickets

1986. Claiming

tale

might disintegrate

compilations of

and random, fragmentary notes from catalogues and interviews.

Once he thought

his journal pretentious

the case in 1986: "For almost everything

and self-important. But

this

write about 'wanting to do,'

was no longer actually did in

the four or five years that followed."

Take

view of photography as ancillary

to his art.

In the early journals, he

dreams out loud — "I can be made permanent by a camera." By

1986 he had done just

his sensible

that, often

with the help of a colleague in photography, Tseng

were fabulous — "photography and video

made

[have]

Kwong

Chi, and the results

phenomenon of

the international

Keith Haring possible."

By now,

logged hours and places visited, he rivaled Bruce Chatwin as an

in sheer

ethnographer of the night.

He hung

believe" in Tokyo, savoring an

ing of the

sound of

trains in

odd

out the world over, enjoying "neon

you

can't

party in Switzerland where the "music" was a record-

Grand Central

and collaborating

Station,

Kansas with

Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. Nevertheless, from time to time, Haring gets the blues: "I

museum world

will ever

embrace me, or

mood. He cures depression by adding on

just a

mind and body occupied — and keep my mind After

Bobby Breslau died

ness."

And

so,

in January,

labor,

seems

have a similar

and Kaz and Sato and

effect

are

had

it is

off of

what

to start to deal

and

talking

and

end, had his

last

apartment designed in the

the final sections of his diaries is

most

alive.

HARING

become

in the case of sex

acute.

new

it's

situation of alone-

"I really love to work,"

really sort

style

Where

the

disappearing around me.

with a

me most happy and I

work.

Now Juan

of 'wired.'

Naive, sophisticated, sexy, puritanical, confident, troubled, a at the

busy and keep

around me while

generation." But

one of the things that makes

on everyone who

all joking

am wondering

the work, "to stay

more commissions:

travel,

notes on the run in Tokyo, "I swear it

disappear with

if I will

man

of the Ritz

of the people who,

— the contradictions in

they most accumulate, there Haring

and innocence.

ERO GRAP HER

Explorations of the night logically include Keith's sex pages, taunts the prurient

life,

which, as

comes through

the

— with brevity and wouldn't-you-like-to-know foreclosures —with post-Stonewall confidence: "I'm glad I'm differ-

and challenges the conventional

The

ent."

example, does not linger on a night in London when Keith and a friend

text, for

and two male strippers come together

He documents

eral idea.

and he documents

lover of the middle Eighties,

Rivera helped Paris

cameo of

place

making him look

time,

for the

travels the

world with Vazquez during his

Before these loves,

chameleon

Moroccan, or

Brazilian,

Then

he has a platonic relationship. years.

moments of loneliness yielded haikus of yearning: "...

he answers rejection with tough-guy humor: "

And

leaves us a quick-study

thinking

about the smile exchanged on the street and nothing but a second glance and dreaming."

petty.

face that adapts to every

two remaining

last

and

real

in this case part Japanese."

whom

he meets Gil Vazquez, another Puerto Rican, with

Puerto Rican, his

Necker Children's Hospital

outline, he rolls."

handsome with

Rivera: "Juan: forever

go,

New York

arguments, both

their

him complete an important mural

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; "we both paint at the same

room, but you get the gen-

for safe sex in a single

himself at peace with Juan Rivera,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; don't

feel

lots

sorry for

yourselfâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; read Nietzsche, right?" Keith's sexuality, continuous his

own words, "[sexual]

and wild,

clearly sparked his visual daring.

intermeshing forms. This was especially true

when

executing overall

arabesque he dreamt up for a painting colleague in 1979. Call this dimension to his

work erography,

transforms sex into a script of liberation, so that

dom and

the energy, whereas

INNOCENCE: THE Sex

porn plays

C O U

facets.

again, but

The

and philosophy.

Dare we say

comes out

it,

took, in

art,

Plus,

many can

art, like a

prick-

veil there.

pornography. Erography

benefit, partaking of the free-

consumers.

art.

As Bruce Kurtz points

There

work, and

something

and

out,

it is

only one of

are powerful glints of desire, again play,

else

for children.

and

with important digressions into

happens.

the counter-trope to sex in Haring's

in his respect for infants

Freudian

N TE R - TR O P E

diaries confirm this.

Haring also writes about

artistic criticism

opposed

for single

not the only subject matter of his 7

many

energy into another form." Sex lights up, directly or in code, his

life

With

and

art is

innocence. This

the sincerity of children he

builds himself a fallout shelter against cynics in the atmosphere: "Re-reading this last

page

have to add the possibility of purity during the moments of working with children.

When do I

drawings with or

for children, there

a level of sincerity that

seems honest

and pure." In Belgium he writes, again, of the "pttfky!! of children , with

dinner.

He found

opposed

their "conversation always entertaining,

to the bankers, dealers,

and

collectors at the other

whom he sat at a formal

and the humor

end of the

table.

fresher," as

in the privacy of a gallery

Haring also believed that "you can do whatever you want

or in a book," but did not execute sexually explicit drawings in his public subway

work

"because of 'children."* Babies

Haring were sacred: "â&#x20AC;˘babies represent the possibility of the future, die

how perfect we

understanding of perfection, baby, ever."

nature

In his diary he adds:

that

When

become my logo

reason that the "baby* has

a crib for the child of two friends in

Haring painted

nothing negative about a 01 sig-

and most positive experience of human existence."

the purest

it is

"The

could be. There

quently, radiates belief that "children are the bearers of life in

1983,

the design, conse-

simplest and most joy-

its

ous form." Perusing this crib, you see Haring in action, you see that he can draw. But love

him jump, suddenly, from series

own

his

creations to

Mickey Mouse. Fugitives from

dance on the panels. Most of the figures are minted

fresh, for the

his

made

subway

pure amusement

of his tiny "client."

As Laura Watt,

young

ing whatsoever; the activity tree

art critic in is

New York, put

pure, like the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for children, not for self."

it:

"There

no ego

in this paint-

way you'd go about decorating

Christmas

1 1

// '

when

his best,

line

drawing of an athlete with

and purity took a tank for a

over,

Haring could move

world. In the process, he was able to give us Eden, the

Fall,

the edges of the

and the return

Eden,

all

once. In short, the richness of contrast in his work, babies and nuclear explosions, guys

getting

nology,

on and angels swimming with unprecedented

dog

the dolphins, a barking

midst of tech-

in the

in 20th-century art.

In the pages of his diary, where he alludes to this tension between terror and deco-

rum, the tone

which

even.

facilitates

fluently transcribes his

recognition of the

HARING AND

mind behind

dreams,

the

fears,

and

aspirations. All of

art.

0TH-CENTURY ART and spontaneity, was

him

Keith's toughness,

combined with

with

of the 20th century. Haring was always competitive.

rival painters

taste

instance, note the hanging of one of his

1987 without commenting All of

which

fits

works near A. R. Penck

in the

well in

combat

could not, for

Cologne Art Fair of

blew him away."

well Harold Bloom's feisty vision of

shop and reputation. In

to serve

his Western

how

Canon: The Books and

the strong artist sets

School of the Ages,

from a

head, denouncing militarism, to a pile-up of

bodies, denouncing Idi Amin, then to myriad infants, a blessing

swiftly

Bloom

/â&#x20AC;˘

writes that "originality reliance,

becomes

a literary equivalent of

individual enterprise,

Part of Haring' s genius, part of his

pathway

to recognition,

was becoming strong

through battle with masters of midcentury modernism, especially Frank at a quieter level,

Leger, Olitski, Alechinsky, plus Pollock, too,

mode. His use of line made him

floor in an all-over

Dubuffet and Stuart Davis, an tion of an important mural

With eyes,

self-

and competition."

Stella,

but also,

Keith worked on the

kinsman

spiritual

he himself mentions

affinity

when

to the

in his journal

work ofJean

upon comple-

the coast of Belgium.

of metal masks, particularly one with a twisted nose and expressive

a series

Haring once consciously answered the challenge of Picasso's two right-hand

faces in the Demoiselles of 1907.

But

this

was more of a sport,

a divertissement,

and

not important to his strongest works of 1988-89. Here he took, for example, what

Frank

Stella

had thrown away, concentric pinstripes, and beat them into novel

shapes answering the splendor of the moves of black vernacular dance of the early Eighties.

Hogarth life

how he saw and documented

in the social

for capturing not only the atrocity of

war but the

part of the canon because of

of 18th-century London;

Goya

benisons of peace. Los Desastres de la Guerra are a cultural given; but the other side of Goya,

bouncing

where he paints Spaniards

mannequin on

at play

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with

kites

how many know {La Cometa), or

a sheet of cloth (ElPelele)?

Haring, similarly, insinuates

mushroom

clouds, apartheid, and popular dance into

our consciousness. In 1988 and 1989 he also recoded the silhouettes of New York breakdancing and

electric

boogie dance

terms evoking the richness of classical modern

art.

In so doing, certain key steps of the Paradise Garage collided incredibly with the squares

of Albers, the lush curves ofJules Olitski, even a trace of color, nized iron, from

Don Judd

the "relentless sobriety"

and made them do

How

in 1967.

of Frank

red lacquer on galva-

Haring cracked the whip of beat-box rhythm over Stella's

concentric pinstripes, restoring

flexibility,

his bidding.

do we parse

this

formidable array of artistic perceptions, hidden as they are in

transformations?

By art

returning to the diaries. Haring

explicit

where he discusses

his relation to the

of Leger and the challenge of Stella, as well as his passionate commitment to the danc-

ing of the Paradise Garage, in

SoHo,

New

York.

The

latter,

inspiration, recalls Toulouse-Lautrec's relationship with the

where he drew

famous Parisian black dancer of

(1896), caught in a

Turn, now,

Kongo

pose.

to these challenges

and sources.

most important font of

Moulin Rouge,

particularly

that era in action, Chocolat

Dansant

the

When

Haring and Pierre Alechinsky.

Cobra group, exhibited

Haring was

town.

his

works

He saw the show:

thing

had ever seen

denly

had

what

"I couldn't believe that work! ...

was doing with these

a rush of confidence."

member

Pierre Alechinsky, the Belgian

self-generative

was the

little

closest

shapes. Sud-

Haring was impressed by Alechinsky's transformation of the framing edge "into detailed

commentary on

oped frame by frame."

nated squares of action. Nevertheless, with their theatricalized darks, queries, Alechinsky's frames read like a

power of strangeness gave Haring

comic

strip

penned by

the courage to go his

occasionally

showed

own way in bending comic frames

his regard for the Belgian artist Tee,

work of

direct citation of one of

the Belgian master in the

Haring and Leger's

last style as

style

of 1942-55. In his diaries, Haring summarizes Leger's

"color blocks with black lines on top."

sometimes painted in

reworking of this mode, in quest of variety, or muralizing reach, and perhaps in

gave him.

by way of homage, as in a 1982

where Jonathan Fineberg detects

the heraldically coiled serpents characteristic of the

That very

artist.

purpose.

composition, Painting for

seventies.

illumi-

and grotes-

lights,

Gothic

Haring was proud of his encounter with Alechinsky and the confidence

the center. This black-and-white sequence of notations devel-

Haring did not directly copy Alechinsky's framing of a central painting with

to serious

at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh in 1977,

Europe, as a salute

his

also,

own

when

to Continental vision.

In Brussels, at a school for graphic design run by Haring's friend Pierre Staeck, a

teacher suddenly asked Haring

if "it

bothered him" that compositions where he used

"color blocks with black lines on top" seemed heavily in debt to Leger.

answered But

that no,

later, in

didn't, and that he was

flattered

the privacy of his diary, he

point.

That very

to the

death of the

commented much more

extensively

artist in

artist's

with the creation of "free color" in the flashing lights of Broadway:

was

New

York

1942 [Leger

states]

was

struck by the advertising spotlights that sweep the streets

around Broadway. You are there talking

someone and

all at

once he turns blue. Then the color changes and he turns red or yellow

on the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;black figurations over color blocks, dating from 1942 1955 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; reflects, the story goes, the French fascination

Leger

style, late

When

And Haring

by the comparison.

the color of the spotlights

18 is free.

Black-lined figurations over "free" segments of blue, gold, green, and red appear

La Danse

almost immediately thereafter in Leger: 1

of 1942,

Still Life

with Two Fish of

948, Polychrome Acrobats of 1 95 1

In separating color from design, Leger gave Haring an instrument. Haring

Americanized

and brought

on back home,

commodity

in a sense, to the

re-

crucible

colors of the streets of New York.

But, as the diaries remind us, Haring "Legerizes" areas, "usually

on murals," and only

terms of his

a painted surfboard for Xavier Nellens in the

own

Dragon

Necker Children's Hospital

exterior stairwell at the

lightly, essentially to

strong voice.

Knokke and

in Paris in

cover large

Two fine

examples:

a mural

on the

1987.

In the process of completing the latter work, the American

makes the Broadway-

inspired French technique his own. Leger's statuesque faces and heavy acrobatic gestures vanish.

Haring replaces them with his own genericized children, reaching and

gesturing through gold, red, blue, and green segments of color.

and

traverse these shapes, as if they

were

The

children touch, kick,

balls or other instruments of play.

This breaks

the seal of Leger's abstraction in favor of something closer to the vision of a child.

The

color blocks themselves strongly recall Miro. But, as in the mobiles of his fellow American, Alexander Calder, Haring sets Miro's shapes in motion. Finally, in his journal, Har-

ing cannot resist adding that Leger "was quite disappointed factory rejected his offer. 3.

Haring and

rospective at the

This

Stella.

to say

when

the 'workers' in the

not the case with me."

On January' 3,

Museum

thoughtful passage. There

1988, Haring visited Frank

Modern Art

New

Stella's

second

an edge to the writing. Haring

is jealous.

And

so what he has

does not exactly match William Rubin's eulogizing catalogue. From Haring:

The

viewer

overwhelmed and consumed by

the scale alone.

Colors geometrically, mathematically chosen.

"making fun" of the painting process.

He knows

there

create "risk." ...

kind of

no more "risk"

A well-planned

for

him, so he

tries to

practical joke? Actually "prac-

tical" joke is perfect. It is

"practical" in that

breaks

all

ics] to

say

how

Stella

But

the right rules

follows it is

was the only

cessful art work. ...

"quality" and

all

the right rules

and

infuriating for [certain critartist

the "graffiti-like" use of garish colors

capable of translating

and gestures

into a suc-

refuse to be forced to believe that this

not.

I'll

ret-

York. This stimulates a long and

grant [Stella] that he

knows

about constructions and shapes and space and the surface.

There

tive at

The

show was

Stella

Yes, this

MoMA. They have

In their eyes

Gruen

seem

are several pieces that

terned surface.

prove something. But

'make fun' of

Stella's

pat-

second retrospec-

shown one of my

not even

pieces yet.

don't exist.

a slap in the face.

Jean-Michel Basquiat and

that with

Frank

this partial truth

But

made him work

Andy Warhol

concealed a

spirit

gone,

harder.

was time

told

for

John

him

of rivalry and competitiveness

unleashed by the Stella retrospective.

The man who could Nietzsche,"

who

himself to "read

weaponry of Stella and other modernists, seized them, made them

own, transforming 1988-89

Museum

never gave up in spite of what the mirror told him every morning about

his health, targeted the his

humorous command

face rejection with a

into his finest hour. In short,

he won. Recently the

of Modern Art acquired one of his works, thus ending what Haring considered

a long siege against his reputation. Still

ically

and

crowd

all,

the cause of Haring has not been furthered by publications

his

works

would want.

show

good and

the bad. This

Explicitly criticizing such procedures,

great,

The

together, the

but the choice of works

ideal

Haring retrospective

starts to

which

uncrit-

not what Haring himself

he once wrote that "the idea of the

be muddled by too

will edit out second-level

many

inferior pieces."

works, warm-up exercises,

and off-moments, and concentrate on where he was engage and

brilliant,

such as certain

drawings and paintings about AIDS, fluent work done in Knokke, Belgium, and where

he was exalted, bending modernism into new shapes by fusion with the steps and silhouettes

of black and Latino dancing of the early Eighties

at the

Roxy and, even more

so, the

Paradise Garage.

HARING AND AIDS Never knowing, ies to save

after

1988,

when AIDS might

take him,

Haring painted

in the late Eight-

others and keep himself alive. Characteristically, he enriched the documents of

alarm with variations of astonishing strength. First, there are paintings

and posters which are straightforwardly

famous Silence-Death composition, dated

May

1989. Haring

ghostly silver figures, covering their eyes or closing their ears.

Haring

states in his diary that

more anonymous

sex."

And

fills

pink triangle with

he wants danger declared: "There

so, in a

activist, like his

really can't

memorable composition, he probes

be any

the terror in

extreme promiscuity: a machine of desire that gives

by means of grasping,

hang victims from and one of

out,

death, achieving completion

itself to

and opening. And from

coiling, licking,

this carnal

Their heads topple earthward,

their penises.

their tongues lolls lifeless

their eyes are crossed

These

the ground.

culmination

are beings

who

have

fucked themselves to death.

Haring dared

to personify the virus

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as demonic sperm â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in a series executed in red

and black sumi ink on blocks of paper, on April 24, 1988. fronting the crisis. Luis

marked with KS, shows

"Demon sperm" insect. Its

Cruz Azaceta,

in a

There

(the phrase

are

many ways of con-

powerful series illustrating ravaged bodies

Haring shows cause, the virus

effect.

itself.

Haring's) bursts from an egg, like a giant horned

horns break the frame of crimson, as

the lairs of the virus:

escaping from the paper. Haring locates

drug addicts' needles, uncovered penises and vaginas. In the best of

these compositions, Haring stops his incessant "drawing," achieving a Zen-like empti-

ness of space crossed by a calligraphic If this series

a radical

And

important,

it is

line.

because the

artist

expressed the presence of a

killer

combination of elegance and shock. having shocked us to save us, Haring breaks depression with a strong and mov-

ing work. Clearly aware here of the Mexican folk-handling of the theme of death, Haring defies the terror.

He shows

that in the spirit of his art, not his

doomed body, his

durability

must be sought.

And

we have

Haring's untitled "diptych" (for James Ensor), acrylic on canvas on

two panels, completed

May

1989.

Ensor, of course, himself painted skeletons, deep-

ening the allusion.

Haring numbers the panels, jaws and

to indicate sequence. In the

first,

bed of flowers. This could be the key

that locks us to

our doom, but

second panel, the sperm of the dead man has caused the flowers for the sun, higher than his head. skull

a skeleton with closed

constricted rib cage touches a key, strangely luminous, while ejaculating over a

smiling. His ribs relax

This

"pushing up daisies"

and open. Haring accepts

disappears. In the

to flourish.

his death.

They

reach

an elegaic sense. For in his

art

The

he found

the key to transform desire, the force that killed him, into a flowering elegance that will live

beyond

his time.

KN O KKE Haring

LIFE IN THE

certainly lives

DRAGON

Knokke, on the coast of Belgium, where one of

his best

murals graces the Casino near the center of the town. Palm Beach with a Flemish accent,

Knokke-le-Zoute Dunkirk,

European summer,

a treasure of the

Belgium, very near the Holland border.

Of all the places where Haring worked, Knokke was tion of

upon

between Amsterdam and

sited

New York.

whole of his recorded voyaging, Knokke

In the

return, he jots

his favorite, with the sole excep-

down "home

the only place where,

Knokke journals show how

again." His

richly

lived in Europe, in terms of giving and receiving affection, where artists like Tinguely,

museums

like the Stedelijk,

and

aristocratic patrons like Princess Caroline of

New

recognized and accepted his genius years before major

around

York museums

Monaco,

finally got

purchasing his works.

Haring loved Knokke. His hosts, Roger and Monique Nellens, gave him moral support and privacy at a critical point in his

On June

tions of the Casino, to

Knokke,

life.

came

an incredible structure built in the east corner of their garden:

designed the Dragon

St. Phalle

added sculpture.

It is

exhibi-

Antweqj, picked up Haring and Juan Rivera, and drove them

things in 'the Dragon' (the Niki de St. Phalle/Tinguely sculpture

Niki de

summer

1987, Monique Nellens, whose husband organizes the

"We put our

are living in)."

1971. Tinguely, her former husband,

a wild, out-of-control sculpture habitat with offbeat eyes, a heavy

claw that anchors the leviathan to the earth, and a marvelous red mouth with tongue as never-never

escape. St. Phalle, in a sense, took

fire

Gaudf one

step further with her char-

acteristic

mixture of architectural space and humorous eroticism:

tempo

right,

stars,

and the flowing white

The

scale

skin, embellished with painted figures

right, the

and painted

superb.

Inside, a crocodile skull wired

and a free-form

by Tinguely snaps

staircase, leading to the

at all visitors

bedroom, bears

sign of love, carries through male bodies, including one

acrobatic mise-en-scene honoring the fact, is a

swimmers and

with electrified jaws,

Haring mural

a dolphin,

surfers of

that starts with a

and ends with an

Knokke.

the wall, in

surfboard Haring painted for the Nellens' son, Xavier, in the Legerizing substyle,

on June 22, 1987.

The bedroom

in the

Dragon

is like

living in a

body underwater, punctuated with

var-

ious organic openings in unexpected places.

Haring loved he completed,

it.

was an enormously stimulating place

which

to live

and work

in addition to the staircase mural, scores of drawings within the

Apparently,

among

all

belly of this monster: Niki

the Nellens' guests,

St.

no one except Haring loved

Phalle actually

came

Knokke

to see

Dragon.

living in the

her genial sculp-

ture-building at last inhabited and accepted. Meanwhile, Roger Nellens ("the best chef in

Europe") cooked Haring inventive gourmet meals and Tinguely called him and "told

of me almost every day. This makes

talks

Haring, after a

Knokke on June 18 and admires really like a

feel

quite proud."

Diisseldorf— where he saw a duck cross the street

trip to

the wild boar that

— returns to

Roger shot the night before.

country house here and kind of timeless in a way."

"It

On to the major puqjose of

his visit:

Saturday, June 20:

mural. Wall

12:00

NOON. To Casino

about 14' x 50'.

begin big

do drawing with black acrylic

of detailed "gambling scene." Big brush and pretty quickly.

Very Dubuffet, or something, with a I

Haring

finish at

3:30 PM

his line with Dubuffet

with the intensity of Dubuffet's line

drawings and constructions of the

The same

hint of Stuart Davis.

to applause.

when he compares

being humorous

The convergence

little

late

in, say,

and Stuart Davis.

the latter's "hourloupe"

Seventies presents an intriguing coincidence.

point applies to Stuart Davis's broad planar cubist

style.

Davis's Anyside

of 1961 boldly outlines shapes and patterns with a strong black line not unlike the armature of the

Knokke mural.

Nevertheless, Haring was, in the

own

self-minted alternative style,

in the return to facial

mized

parallel lines

Knokke mural, operating completely

and anatomic

and

detail,

handling of that in terms of rhyth-

Three of the gamblers fantastic

latter

evoke one kind of

West African sculpture, which he knew both from

books and from Picasso's versioning of this

and the other

in the

and "dangerous" eyes made of tubes. The

Dan and Grebo mask

in terms of his

differing from the dolphins, dogs, and radiant children

trait in his

the hand-

Guitar of early 1912.

are dragons, likely reflecting the impact of his lodgings.

personae read

the planet Tatooine in Star Wars.

like fugitives

They

from the famous "cantina scene" on

They are busy smoking, laying down cash, and

playing

cards while death rolls dice and another figure indicates a wheel of fortune. This musing

art

and gambling

corner.

adorns a room next

There Haring

climaxed by an homage to Rene Magritte in the upper left-hand restates

to that

and frames Magritte's "masked apples," a mural which

which

Haring mural.

the following day, Haring goes "to Casino to finish mural with everyone from lunch.

Fill in

color inside

all

the black shapes

very drippy. Finish around 9:30. sky,

shelters the

and the Cobra school,

he did

— one color at a time. Very 'Cobra' brushwork and He

evokes complicating comparisons to Alechin-

Dubuffet and Stuart Davis. However, as Haring

hiniselflater points out in his journals, "this tation."

The

way he mixes

creative

a hint as to

ing

what

his style

Nellens. "It

One

of his musings tantalizes us,

now: "I think thoughtful and aesthetic I

searching for to

make

the next

had fireworks

great using ink

refrigerator for in the

Roger with

terra-cotta 8,

because

Haring does

oil paint." All

feel

to the

Dragon

soaks

really fast

and

a "big three-eyed face paint-

of these works are

optimistic after being in

early in October:

and sleeping inside the Dragon

a lot like

still

Knokke. In

Europe and

life,

think

as it

to live longer."

Haring came back

was pouring through

They even put up

Flemish resort restored Haring's zest and prolonged his

he leads us to understand: "I

might be a good idea

honor.

in Keith's

backyard. Sunday, July 5, Haring executes four vases for

on paper." Wednesday, July

sum, summer 1987

might look

needed. This could be the vehicle

flag in the

a line like

on the

night

Dragon.

from the subway works."

an American

makes

lot in the

the Fourth ofJuly the Nellens

Monique

But the information being con-

death plus respect for his colleague,

pure Haring.

humor

transition

own

with fear of his

Haring thought and dreamt a

dropping

because of the quality of drawing, not imi-

linear elements recall, if anyone, Picasso.

veyed, and the Magritte,

all

the

round holes

a dream anyway." Haring's

he brought his parents

tentedly in the Dragon, his

at the

"The moon was almost

full last

Nellens house was really strange

in the

windows.

last visit to

Knokke was

light

Sleeping in Niki's dragon in

November 1989, when

Europe. Monique Nellens remembers Haring painting con-

mother watching.

HARING AND THE DANCE: BREAKING One

of the more dramatic registers of Haring's ambition, seeking affinity of line with the

contours of the world around him, was his finding, in break-dance and electric boogie, icons of late-20th-century American civilization.

The new dances

represented a sudden synthesis of steps and acrobatics going back,

through documented midpoints in the pages of Charles Dickens's Notes on America and an early kinescope attributed

mix exploded,

Thomas

in the late Seventies

and

Edison, to ancient sub-Saharan sources. early Eighties,

on the dance

The

floor in time to

double-disk DJ music, the "wheels of steel" and their extended breaks, hence the

title,

break-dance.

Haring knew the

gist

of the break-dance sequenceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; entry-swipes (floor acrobat-

ics)

— spin — freeze — exit.

combat with

gravity

Just as he

he chose

especially celebrated the Antaeus-like spins, dancers in

and the laws of physics.

knew what

made

pick from Keats, so Haring

points with the moves that

draw: For instance, with young men, spinning on their heads, he silhouetted

poise and valor.

also interrogated the spark of colleagueship within the break-dance, those por-

tions of the

choreography depending upon close cooperation between two or more

dancers. Witness his versioning of the "spider move," which

sense of

how

demands

a swift

and

instant

space with an incoming person. Compare, also, man-over-man

to share

"totem-pole" sequences. Here the safety of those on top depends on the brawn and agility

of the

man

bottom. This communal form of dancing, strong and genial, lights up

remarkable silhouette-sculpture of 1985: four persons balanced on a barking dog/

This

in turn mirrors

helicopter."

two

men

known

balanced on a third in a breaking move

Parenthetically, Haring's inclusion of the animal in the

as "the

dance extends the

positive, protective nature of the icon of the barking dog.

— where one breaker arches his body on the ground — and turned into metal sculpupward while both arms and feet stay 29 ture. Even this move, seemingly individualistic, was a call for colleagueship — another Haring was equally intrigued with "the bridge" flat

crew member often answering

by doing

a flip over a

body

in this

low position.

Haring thus saluted the range of poetic methods by which the blacks and Latinos of the early Eighties found strength

and community

in the break-dance.

The

participants

themselves recognized their moves in Haring's subway drawings:

[1983, 1984] ...

and

was almost

logue and put [out] images which specifically

sons

from dance moves that

who would] bend

was seeing .

[in the

dances and

was.

continue the dia-

would

saw

get

sometimes

you know, [per-

"spider move"], things that

literally

[the break-dancers]

away what

over backwards [to the floor] or some-

body going underneath

work

dialogue going on back

like a

and the subways were a way

forth,

putting them right into the

knew,

when

they saw

it,

right

HARING AND THE DANCE: ELECTRIC BOOGIE Breaking centers on the horizontal. But electric boogie, the matching dimension to hip-

hop choreography, trical

XXVIII

current:

stand-up dance.

It brilliantly

mimes

the activating

powers of elec-

A dancer would begin an electric wave in

his right

arm, touch-

ing another dancer's arm, which vibrates with the received

and then pass

energy, this

Two began

critics,

game of electronic

deAk and

Edit

to portray aspects

to as

many dancers

call-and-response.

could play

Lisa Liebmann, sensed Haring's meanings

when he

of the electric boogie both in his subway drawings and paintings

on canvas:

... a current of energy transmitted by

and

male creatures

ever-readily recharging themselves or one another

the act

of recharging appears to be both praxis and erotic principle.

Haring also saw,

home

in the electric boogie,

in the style,

his hand.

Haring even drew

both social truth and dancer

who

lights

spiritual transcendence.

a light

bulb with current in

a wall of metal

FDR Drive near 91st Street, Haring brought in

1984

all

of his

breaker/electric boogie expertise:

Break head-spinning, body propelled by one hand, legs pretzeled. Kicking

and

rolling shoulders.

act. Vertical electric

boogie,

Two-partner balancing of which, sending

the elasticity

waves, has magically lengthened the dancer's body. Breaker falling

his back,

hands and

body supported with

the palms of the

Wave

building the pose called the bridge.

feet,

dancers passing modified lightning to one another. Electric

boogie locking, hand right-angled

This was Haring ship,

at his best, the

showing persons

electronics.

its

He saw

very popularity.

master documentarist in search of taste and fellow-

dance acquiring value through stealing

He showed them

post-hominid future.

hidden by

in the

to wrist.

fire

from the age of

bending, delaying, and transgressing a march toward a

the

life

force, the subtle medicine,

coded

in electric boogie,

FINAL QUINTESSENCE: DANCING AT THE

PARADISE GARAGE In the pages of his journals Haring

mourns

the closing of the Paradise Garage in 1987.

Haring dealt with the passing of this club by immortalizing certain moves which had impressed him there. At the same time he had come

Bahian martial

New York

art as taught in

in contact

and witnessed

with capoeira, an Afro-

in Brazil.

These

styles, too, left

traces in his imagination.

In 1987, Haring and Juan Rivera drove

Haven, Connecticut. There they showed capoeira, dovetailed in

combat and

to the Lippincott

Foundry

Haring's sculpture of two

self-assertion.

men

North

playing

Haring's eyes flashed as he decoded a statue standing with arms curved before chest,

fists

nearly touching.

was a

classic

move of

its

the Paradise Garage, a sign, he

explained, of metrical encirclement. Haring demonstrated. for a millisecond, a partner within this fleeting fence, right

One dancer would

fist

capture,

and then move on

in left,

other moves.

This

partial cage, encircling

tions of a

one-man exhibition

arms

that

in the Paradise

Haring mounted

manner, haunts the best composi-

at the

Michael

Kohn

Gallery in Los

Angeles in June-July 1988. In his conscious pursuit of museum attention, Haring decided to test the impact of the Paradise Garage choreography at risk

monumental

gallery scale.

was the Los Angeles 1988 dance paintings. In

And

the

outcome of this

this self-selected genre,

himself against the masters: Albers, Olitski, possibly Judd, but certainly

placed his

museum

faith in the strength

art.

And

his style

Haring pitted

Stella.

He had

of the moves to bring off a triumphant vernacularization of

was changing. Spaceships and barking dogs were nowhere

be seen.

Now

he was complicating

gance meant

fine art qualities

of line and color with street extrava-

to level hierarchical distinctions. First,

he piled dancer on dancer in the

totem-pole image characteristic of group break-dancing. But as he did so, he fused

two dancers

Judd

series.

in one.

painted, as well, their bodies in metallic red, not unlike a

He showed,

again, the close relationship binding key Paradise Garage dancers

fusing in another composition four performers to form a square of one.

The men join hands runs,

and two

(at left)

Don

are

but "break" into difference:

the floor, upside

down,

One bends

his

knees outward, one

flaunting hip-hopjcapoeira legs, the former

pretzeled, the latter (right) with one leg straight, the other bent, a capoeira

called negativa.

move

Then he

repeated this Afro square dance omitting the legs, squaring the torsos, and

coloring the bodies white lined in russet. Four frames emerge, Albers-like squares in

green and gold and pink and blue. like the

These capture our gaze with asymmetric phrasing,

north wall windows of Le Corbusier's 1955 chapel at

Ronchamp

in southeastern

France.

Pollock 39

rivalry.

thus not the only 20th-century

For, having taken

manner of Jules

work

something

again, into

Olitski.

The

total

Head

vocabulary

as well),

that of

Haring elaborated at

heroic scale in

absorption of lush coloration, red-lined olive field,

was a marvel of cultural transposition.

{Untitled No. 71), Haring's characteristic "action lines" deepen, like the strokes

ofJules Olitski. This strategy enhances gold-tinted

break-dancers performing on a gray-blue lozenge.

critical

B-boy spider move with a lushness of color

dancers vertically poised against a jet black In another

whose

on Albers (and perhaps Don Judd

a further quintessence of the

the

artist

over lozenge

we have

Their bodies fuse

field.

seen before:

Kota brass-plated (hence the yellow?) reliquary

It is

form an abstract

famous

the structural gist of the

figure, alleged organizing principle

behind the right-hand Demoiselles of 1907. Next, Haring targeted dark Stella pinstripes of the Sixties. Haring showed

was possible

to respect the master's sobriety

and

self-control

and

still,

within

all

how

that tight

suppression, discover black sound and motion. Haring causes Stella's concentric squares to curve, regroup,

and ultimately form

tangle of pink stoked near the heart.

a body, bull's-eye of pink

The

right leg

burning in the head, rec-

descends and bends

to the beat; the left

prepares a kick. Right arm celebrates the dancer's state of being, reaching for heaven.

Action

lines, fat

with pleasure, again take on roles as abstract units of design.

The left hand's

reach and angle are culturally exact: electric boogie right-angle bend-

ing at elbow, wrist, and fingers.

And so Haring conquers his fire

rivals,

masters their media, in the

name of the

eroticized

of New York Eighties dance.

One more rival

time, in 1988, he deliberately disturbs the optical neatness of his powerful

with the trace of black bodies in action.

The

composition, monumental in scale,

Haring masterpiece.

from the Paradise Garage take possession of the pin-striped

They

celebrate their celebration,

fusion they

become

Haring,

at the

of sweat and

arms curving up

line

and turn

in affirmation.

Two it

fugitives

into dance.

So decisive

their

a pair of scissors. Their legs cut through ribbon. This frees a person,

bound and immobilized,

ties

the right.

end, confers a metaphor of liberation

spirit.

Black dance becomes a

upon bodies debated by

intensi-

medium of transcendence: "Dancing

[at

the Paradise Garage]

was

really

scend being here and getting

dancing in a way to reach another

communally

another place."

45 It

state

of mind, to tran-

was

lights

and disco,

but something else was happening.

Haring assumed,

mourned

friend,

Bobby

he wrote in his diary, that the Paradise Garage and his dearly

Breslau,

had both gone

to heaven.

Now he is with them.

1977

APRIL 29, 1977: PITTSBURGH This

a blue

moment

don't

know what I want

going

after

I'm

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

relate

but

fast,

afraid. Afraid

it's

blue because I'm confused, again; or should

how to

don't,

I'm wrong.

when

And

entirely different

and bad

facets.

comparing.

life. I

act like

Each

separate.

comes down

relate

The to

my it

life

say "still"?

know what I want, and I appear

it,

even know.

guess

guess I'm afraid I'm wrong, because

should be relating

worthy of my admiration, or long

it's I

because

should be looking

both

some

only in the sense that each has good

only way the other attained enough merit, making

copy

it is

constantly

an idea or an example that

my life

by taking chances, taking

its

own way.

has grown with different situations and has discovered different heights of happiness

and equal sorrows.

If I

re-doing things for

my own empty

always seek to pattern

the other [artists] influence

am afraid. Afraid

ize

and

call

I'll just

human

seems I'm doomed

after another,

life

acceptance. But,

if I live

as a reference, a starting point,

awareness instead of staying dormant. I

it. I

myself to other people, other experiences, other ideas.

in perspective, not

get

If I

can take

this

life

mine

being wasted

my way and

only

let

can build an even higher

and apply

it, it

will help,

but again

ignore this whole revelation and remain in the rut and rational-

nature or

to continue.

some

shit.

Although

But, I've been living like this for so long that I

realized

now, so that

encouraging. If I can

this,

then

where

for

on why

If I

past experience, there

that

all

am just more

some reason or no

am and what I am

aiming

Today we got

do or what

call "Fate."

but

it,

know

am gonna do

forth-

all.

hasn't been

end up some-

I'll

clearer

little

or just "do." If this fate

try to forget all

Live. Just live

Lately

that

answer

at least

what happened and

live. Just live. Just.

to Interstate State

should be able

some answers or

could have more confidence and

misconceptions, and just

some

ignorant of

reason, but with

negative, that isn't negative because that

only wish that

questions and doubts about

in question, then

always a certain magic that

perhaps

as evident, or

should not be hard to answer

coming adventure.

that then

was the

fate. I

my silly preconceptions,

die.

till I

Park and camped and met people and sold T-shirts.

Tripped. Met people going to see the Grateful Dead in Minnesota.

The

Grateful

Dead

Minnesota! We're going to see the Grateful Dead! I

found a

tree in this

ways out over the

park that I'm gonna come back

Croix

St.

TUESDAY, MAY Today we awoke saw the school.

river

can

sit

and balance lying on

walked out of the park and hitchhiked

so big! Giant studios and

It's

phy, sculpture and giant sun roofs.

They have

modern

nights for

Also

yet.)

mall that

$10 and bought Grateful Dead I

met people

idea of what this school

The Dead were high.

can't begin to describe.

left

truck ride

all

Minneapolis,

way

saw the people we met

sweet songs to rock

about

hair

we took

to the

for

two

not sold out

lot

of questions and got a good

at the

campsite, sold T-shirts, got

bus

to 1-94

and caught

border of N. Dakota where we

when

a ride

from

Overdrive and then

it's

was

all

will lay

7 7 a

farmers and

dorm apartment

my soul."

Rednecks! Then we got

drank some beers.

got a

(Only $5.50 apiece and

did an encore from American Beauty, "By the waterside

to the river sing

the

etching, lithogra-

"Pioneer" receivers, tape

We saw the downtown area and

school here and asked a

FRIDAY, MAY 13, 19 After

tickets.

is like.

great.

The Dead even

my head, listen

that

perfectly.

Minneapolis.

facilities for silk-screen,

a big library with

decks and a large selection of music (even Frank Zappa). a really

stretches side-

1977

10,

at sunrise,

and

someday.

to,

a truck ride into

N. Dakota.

went

few

little

ate three

to the

a pilot

rides

and then

bathroom they

who

cheeseburgers and

likes

all

talked

Bachman Turner

SATURDAY, MAY I

in Miles City,

the last ride

it.

went down onto the

drove

till

ramp

Washington, so

Interstate, illegally,

the ramp. This

around 10:00

last

hair looks like there are

guy

going

and

all

the

was

way

to get rides.

So we sheriff

hard

Sacramento. I'm in his car now.

night and then stayed in a motel, watched Paper Moon

our way to Sacramento in a '62 Chrysler with a

dome dash and

really neat

doesn't

work

right 'cause

ago. But we'll get there

looking

we woke

at us.

and Suzy

he spilled a glass of Coke

18,

"Hurry up,

they're

van and then a ride with a guy named

who

Peter

took us to Berkeley.

really

The

amazing. Better than

Minneapolis, and not even comparable to Ivy.

Then we went by Rapid

Transit (space transit) to San Francisco to a place to eat

and sleep

for free

advertised in an "alternative" Yellow

we found

Pages

who

ran

was

gay,

think,

saw more faggots than life. It

The guy

in Berkeley.

friend took us to Polk Street,

entire

the front of the dash a few years

1977

up, got out of the tent and there were cows standing 20 feet away just

hitchhiked to 1-80 and got a ride in a

school

down

They kept coming closer and

saying,

plastic slipcovers. It's a

blind in one eye and has a cataract in the other and the radio

WEDNESDAY, MAY Yesterday

on TV

Medford, Oregon, and now we're on

Also, he

ani-

seconds before a

real

finally got a ride,

and took showers. Today he bought us breakfast

car.

dead

1977

15,

to stand before the

dead.

least they're

SUNDAY, MAY

came down

Thinking about the Grateful Dead, 'cause

sitting in the sun.

was 77 miles of AM Radio. Suzy said

mals living in

You have

1977

14,

Montana,

and

his

where we

saw

was weird, but we got fed

closer

till

gonna charge

they were right in front of the tent, us," so

hurried

up and

left

and

and no

well

went

N.J. shore.

hassles.

Now we are at a laundromat and we'll head

Newport Beach

got high and met

sunburned.

today.

was

nice.

wish

Ana.

for Santa

could

live

here

It's like

someone from Boston and from Michigan.

saw the ocean

today,

one month

after seeing the Atlantic

Ocean.

MONDAY, MAY Yesterday

me and Suzy

23, 1977 took a bus

Disneyland.

We did everything we could possibly do in seeing

and hearing about

three stories high

and

it,

but

What

nine hours. it

was

a trip! It

better.

was

expected

Except the

always looks gigantic in pictures.

another world.

be a letdown

castle

We went to

the

after

only about

Haunted Man-

sion two times.

SATURDAY, MAY We

are

last

where!

camped

trees

in a National Forest (for free) in the

night and drank Coors this morning and I

got

shelter. It

getting

28, 1977

up and walked

was snowing. This

sunburned

and we put the

farther is

down

the creek,

the nicest place we've

Newport Beach, and now we're tent

under

ing a beer and getting high

it.

Rocky Mountains.

we woke up and and found been in

put our tent

was snow every-

good place

to yet. Last

snow!

Now am sitting across

there

Saturday

make

we were

built a shelter out of pine

the creek from our tent drink-

on the scenes. Rocky Mountain High!

MEMORIAL DAY 1977 We

slept

under a

train bridge last night

and woke

with the other people that had slept there.

sunrise and signed the bridge along

We got a family ride that was very comical, and

then a ride to Des Moines, Iowa, with a really neat guy

Now I'm on first

the

part of my trip.

North Side, and Suzy

Or should

say the beginning of another

shines the small ray of hope that lives in the theatre,

and the

think

fit

Utah,

it is

me and

town

called Park City,

always with me. Art will never leave

never should. So as I

hope

go into the next

will

be more creative

and more work involved and

more doing,

less feeling,

ass off, 'cause that,

It's

less talk

and

seeing, learning, being, loving,

maybe

and just work

mirror

see

my friend, is where it's at!

the Image I'm seeking, the

Image

raccoons.

This

"trip."

the

Through

sense of the few.

The

end of the

all

the shit,

music, dance,

This

where

alongside a creek in the Rocky Mountains or in a skyscraper in

in a small

part of the trip

feeling,

common

toast.

visual arts; the forms of expression, the arts of hope.

in. If it's

Chicago or

who had tame

making French

when

talking to

the

man

in the

Me.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Graham Nash

1978

OCTOBER As

I sit

14,

here and write

1978 I feel

comfortable.

Washington Square Park. There ena of the

city.

are so

It is

many

today will not necessarily affect

stantly changing.

different

ways

mind and

comfortable in

experience the phenom-

attitude.

tomorrow. Nothing

Every second from birth

to feel

number of different

given situation can have an unlimited

person's thoughts, depending on the state of

somewhat unusual

Something

and recomposing themselves around you. Time and never can repeat

itself.

constant. Everything

None of the elements

are constantly changing (cell division)

condif-

composing

(situations in a visible logical progres-

ence of time will ever be the same because everything

humans

that affects

spent experiencing; different sensations,

ferent interjections, different directional vectors of force/energy constantly

sion) never will

effects

and one

involved in the experi-

always changing. Physically

never in the same state of exis-

tence mentally or physically.

The Change.

physical reality of the world as If there is

any repetition

passed and therefore there

it is

we know

motion. Motion

not identical repetition because

itself =

movement.

(at least)

time has

an element of change.

two human beings ever experience two sensations, experiences,

thoughts identically. Everything changes, everything

feelings, or

always different. All of these vari-

ables merging, interacting, destroying each

new

other, building

mean

ties,"

forms, ideas, "reali-

human

that the

experience

one of constant change and,

label

is it,

"growth."

source of amazement comes from the

fact that

most

their lives

around the

human

living

beings build

belief that these differ-

ences, changes, don't exist.

They choose

ignore these things and attempt to program

own

or control their

existence.

They make

schedules, long-term commitments, set

system of time and become controlled by their

know

People don't want to Unless they

feel

ural.

There

Some

attitudes

an improvement, and then they are

see

all

around

acceptable as long as

all

for "change,"

and

contrive situations or force a change that

many aspects of this one concept

are so

Change

it is

"make changes" or

to great lengths to

system of controls.

that they change.

that

it is

hard to write them

will

unnat-

all

down.

me are:

it is

controllable.

Change can be predicted. Changes can be contrived and/or altered and/or planned.

stand in front of my mirror and gaze at

ferent conceptions of how

on and

take

them

off,

ent at different times. they feel, but I

am looking at

and I

look.

I feel

my conception

mean completely

likely is controlled

my image, I

though

have many different

of other people

different. It

by my

see an endless

faces.

put them

the same. People look differ-

may have something

feelings,

number of dif-

emotions,

that

we are

do with how

reality at the

time

them.

Usually the underlying

fact that

change

is reality,

constantly changing and

constantly in difficult situations, different states of mind and actually different realities

ignored

or misunderstood or misinterpreted or confronted.

Most

simply, people

know

some

extent that they feel

different at different times or look, different to themselves

different days, but few people really try to experience this

or question

or really investigate

its

reasons or

cations. People tend to try to control this site life pattern. It is like

a patch of grass that

impli-

its

an oppo-

living

superimposing a grid on top of

and constantly changing, and

is alive

then trying to make the grass

the predetermined design

fit

of the grid. People, could,

it is

situations,

harmony with

the

working against

confront this

and

fortable

mony

life.

and

reality,

question

live in

it,

explore

harmony with an

with an uncontrollable

instead of

doing things

in a

that

a victim of

live

with

live in har-

are subject to

no choice except the

try to explain

want

really is a reality, that

way

and

much more com-

it.

living with this "reality,"

myself) that

it,

idea.

reality that

or not. There

keep writing because before

To be

live, at least, in

where the modern man can

part of it and lead a

choice of how to deal with

They can

it.

whether we choose

time.

a point, I'm sure,

People can, how-

knowledge and co-exist with

become

actually

to conceive.

They

removed

products of their changing environment

stantly changing,

hard

far

with the realization that they are con-

ever, live their lives

and changing

patch of grass.

live like a

one time, but we are so

from that time that

There

cannot

realize,

suppose,

feel

to try to explain (to exists,

own knowledge

your

standing what your knowledge

To be

a victim of change

To be

a victim of "living

"being wrong about the way

and

that

I'm

not totally without reason.

the possibilities of "another

how

and what

its

is.

to ignore its existence.

by what you think"

way it

not under-

result

to ignore

to live" or the possibility of

is" or

ignoring the possibility

of "not knowing what you think."

Thinking you know the answer

dangerous as not

thinking about the possibility of no answers.

0p>

Poetic sentences that

make no sense might

as well

be poems.

Keith Haring thinks in poems. Keith Haring paints poems.

Poems do not

necessarily

need words.

Words do not

necessarily

make poems.

In painting, are read as

words

are present in the

form of images. Paintings can be poems

words instead of images. "Images

that represent words."

they

Egyptian Art/hiero-

glyphics/pictograms/Symbolism. Words as imagery.

Can imagery

(communicate)

exist

in the

form of words?

Foreign languages, undeciphered alphabets can be beautiful, can express without a

knowledge of the meaning of the words.

Looking

at a

book printed

Chinese can be as beautiful

as looking at pictures.

Images that represent words. All of this in the context that everything

painting, as believe

think, feel, act, conceive

different at different times, I

always changing. That

know it, can be imagery as words. Because I am

why, for me,

different at different times.

have never lived two days that were the same in any way. Similar, maybe, but not

the same.

and

live differently

my imagery also

every day, every instant.

And

if I

changes.

paint differently every day.

every hour, every minute,

every instant.

My paintings are a record of a given space of time. They are recorded Duplication

patterns of thought.

impossible without a camera.

Repetition, without a camera (or machine)

paint differently every day

makes

over the period of more than one session.

not repetition.

impossible to paint a consistent composition

It is

done, but not without pain, needless changes, de-evolution,

(duplication), over-working, collage (piling different ideas

ing

them I

art

done

a "whole"), etc.

Pure

art exists

only on the level of instant response to pure

in this context.

saying that art has evolved.

and

different attitude

Although much

art.

unique to agrvup of artists, a

art history is

life

composed of "movements" and

"group mentality" or "cultural grouping" of

of individual inputs toward a group

However, art history,

after seeing these

has existed, the act of

artists

art

believe

effort.

many "movements" and "group

styles"

ideals. It

a time for self-realization.

Being tested by the media and mentality of this anti-individual types are the reigning

and "periods" of

have reached a point where there can be no more group mentality,

no more movements, no more shared

power and overpopulation has forced us

society,

realization that individuality

mass

society. Individuality

Art

individuality.

all art

Where an

It is

the base of

underlying message of modern

what modern

art

artist

has destroyed his is

when he

own

has

let

make group manifestos and form group beautiful pictures.

has been screaming

Nobody

goals (or

enemy of

the

art. It is

us since

had them destroyed

this

factor.

the lesson that its

beginnings.

him, and

sat

had a pure vision and painted

ever has or ever will paint like

artists are parts

for

himself be part of groups, follow movements, ideas. Matisse

him

again. His

was an individ-

of a movement. Unless they are followers.

they are unnecessary and doing unnecessary

way" with

Individuality

exist as

with the

has been saying since the beginning of time.

by and done nothing),

ual statement.

it all.

artists

stereo-

speaks for the individual and makes him a significant

feel this is the

must not be ignored. what

is still

where

to believe that

"kinds of people" or "types of people" or "generalizations," has produced

It is

style

always was and always will be a product of the individual.

individual or has (in collaborated efforts) an individual's conception or a mixture

itself is

than

faster

and therefore

(person) of a given time has had a different life

Has changed

companion. Each

artist

life.

the beginning of time as a helpful

Has been with humans from

Even

call-

not trying to say that art up to this point has been useless or any less pure than

have.

toward

false repetition

on top of each other and

art. If

And

then

they are exploring in an "individual

"different ideas" the idea of another individual, they are

making

worthy con-

tribution, but as soon as they call themselves followers or accept the truths they have

not explored as truths, they are defeating the purpose of art as an individual expression-

Art as

art.

Art in 1978 has seen numerous attempts ing an idea until the idea against

group

mentality.

itself is lost in I

don't

know

at classifying

the process,

if this is

or labeling and then exploit-

and now

feel

it is

time to

come out

a shared opinion, but by the lack of any

1 1

movements or new movements or new

existing

looks and feels as though

They have been

are seeing individual artists, individual ideas.

many

directions,

influenced, of course, and

are probably not sincere in their endeavors, but this void of

after the

over-emphasized, unquestioned "movements" of the

pened so

fast

art is

undefinable because

everybody on every realize

it.

tality is

years that hap-

That

level identifies

with

art,

regardless

in endless

That life

That

it is

if they

and

art is life.

the importance of the individual

individuals,

changing and

and the

reality that

are

all

same

nothing

me.

may look

you

at all.

spective because in

you didn't have, and

you, but

you

am very different. life I

take a closer look

different, all

humans with

I've lived places

that

you didn't have, and

may be wearing

you have.

you no

will realize that

and seen places and experienced

right to have

haircut, but that gives

you

see things through a completely different per-

had experiences

same or

race that

contributing to the "whole" as individuals, not as groups

pletely different point of view than

and needs."

goals, ideas

and men-

human

or products of "mass identity," "anti-individual," "stereotyped groups of the

That

are aware of it or admit

important to the future existence of the

we understand

all

seems

forms and ideas and

is art

the importance of the "individual idea" in a society of this size

the only reality.

all

life

different for each individual.

it is

everything and everywhere. That the con-

ception of art occurs in every individual in day-to-day is

"group movements"

last ten

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Pop, Conceptual, Minimal, Earth Works, post-this and anti-that â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

high time for the realization that

it is

the

life

had

feelings

from a com-

same shoes and the

any preconceived notions about what

who I am. You don't even know me. You never will.

Art as a personal exploration. Art as an end to the question "what

The meaning of art as

that

"what does

mean?"

experienced by the viewer, not the

artist.

artist's

ideas are not essential to the art as seen by the viewer.

The

viewer

unique

The

own

no need

artist in

the sense that he conceives a given piece of his

own way

him.

imagination determines what

it is,

what

means.

viewer does not have to be considered during the conception of the

should not be

it?" or

The

His

it is

told, then,

for definition.

what

to think or

how

to conceive

or what

art,

but

means. There

Definition can be the most dangerous, destructive tool the artist can use

making

art for a society

Definition

of individuals.

The

public has a right to

The

public

The

public needs

art,

and

for everybody.

become

goals by defining them.

art.

it is

and not

art,

they don't understand therefore

its

being ignored by most contemporary

public needs

Art

not necessary.

Definition defeats itself and

ize the

when he

it,

and

stand or appreciate art and

the responsibility of a "self-proclaimed artist" to real-

make bourgeois

think that to

alienated from, is

artists.

continue to make

may mean

few and ignore the masses.

art for the

theyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the public

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;do not appreciate art because

art that

that the artist

they don't understand and the

thriving in this "self-proclaimed

one

who

doesn't under-

knowledge of art"

that

actually bullshit.

Art can be a positive influence on a society of individuals.

Art can be a destructive element and an aid to the takeover of the "mass-identity" society.

Art must be considered by the

The

not understanding sciousness of the

The

artists as well as the public.

public will not, however, say what they want for fear of seeming uneducated or

artist

they won't

art.

Therefore, the responsibility rests predominantly on the con-

artist.

make

cannot, however,

"come out" about

their essential roles as viewers,

his decisions without considering the public,

the arts,

why

they need

If the

public

and how

to help

them

fulfill

how to experience art and why.

The decision is basically, is art for an educated Is art successful

art,

why

few, or

art for all

people of the time?

without the input of the public?

afraid of art,

should we be afraid of what we have done to make the

public afraid of art?

Were they always? Do they matter? for

Is art for

viewing and appreciation of the individual? Is art for self? Is art I

am interested

as possible with as

simply

making

many

fulfilling

art to

an artist-ego relationship?

be experienced and explored by as many individuals

different individual ideas

meaning attached. The viewer creates the piece. I

the individual, by the individual only

reality,

about the given piece with no

final

the meaning, the conception of the

merely a middleman trying to bring ideas together.

have nothing specifically to communicate but

not complete until

it is

met with

this:

the ideas of another

That I have created

human

being

(or, I

a reality that

suppose, ani-

and

mal), including myself,

meanings because

infinite

This

that the reality

It is art

It is life

has

know it. know it.

a tool of the message.

The medium

not the message.

The message

the message.

is life.

experienced.

it is

unimportant.

The medium is

Art

not complete until

be experienced differently by every individual.

will

my message. The medium

Life

The importance

is art.

of both

over-exaggerated as well as misun-

derstood.

The

destructive element exists in

all art,

but ultimately

determined only by the

ideas of the viewer.

Art has no meaning because for every individual,

There

are

When

work I

that

look

has

many meanings, infinite meanings. Art

different

ideas for

my own

definable only by the given individual.

answers, only questions.

SoHo,

wonder

start to

and

set

if that's

come away with

why

at the gallery

many

visions of

new

go.

spaces as spaces for

art instead

of looking

the art

being shown.

There I

one of the main reasons

realized today that

cities in the I

being shown in spaces that deserve more than

a lot of shit

saw so many spaces today

But

my art makes

ences the space. I

am here

world that has gallery space big enough

that look like they

itself fit the

for

because

shit.

it is

one of the only

my anticipated works.

were made

space, any given space.

for

my art.

defines the space

and experi-

changes space and can be part of any given space.

saw today walls

that

could hang paper panels on and make a 30 x 400 foot

painting. It's

Today

imagined a gallery

would be exhibited)

am up

how do you get

wonderful. But

all

against myself.

of equally spaced video monitors (spaced as painting

playing different tapes of my video paintings.

tudes, different feelings

full

there?

am up

against the fact that

and possibly never carry out

appear that seems more important. This

was

at the

opening and

was

a nice show.

gallery,

will

want

it,

but

have new ideas, different

this vision

because another one

however, existed today in

atti-

will

mind.

After the completion of

painting myself into a corner

—

first

video piece

— me

am becoming much

more aware of movement. The importance of movement is

intensified

when

becomes

a painting

The performance

(the

a performance.

of painting) becomes as

act

important as the resulting painting.

Movement as

painting. Painting as

Moving toward

work of

movement.

that

art

encompasses

music, performance, movement, concept, craft and a record of the event in the form on a painting.

reality

Almost (i.e.,

kind of diagram of the previous experience

blueprint, choreography).

Painting as performance.

Video

— a medium capable of reaching higher levels — more direct, more involved than

of communication painting/sculpture. It's

sonal be.

not necessarily true that

have had a

and even

In fact,

city.

think

it is

It's

except

strange,

when I'm

be valuable to leave,

now from

say that

start

curse

still

an imper-

you

let it

levels. It

to other

people

a barrier of fright

can be a wonderful

first-hand experience.

my painting class

in class,

walk home, exchanged smiles

really nice

(apprehension) on other I

York

few words. People are open

a certain level, but there

place.

New

quite friendly

and then

24 hours

seems

education in some way. But

day

might

when

cursing again.

I'm enjoying the theory and principles discussed in

painting class.

in the sense that later

vas

how

can see

repetition

and

a con-

(symbol vocabulary) could be helpful

trolled vocabulary

a discipline

you experience and then

use as a reference point, but for some reason the can-

and

oil

use them.

paint repulse me.

hate

them more the more

love the rich colors of the paint, but the vehi-

cle for the color is so primitive, so restraining. In oil

paints, the oil

color. In video,

the vehicle to hold it

light.

and transport the

guess the use of paint

Video

stills,

School of Visual Arts, Neiv York City.

1979

However,

inevitable.

paint

if I

there

could experience

an experience with

control

it,

paint

oil

a better

it,

way

want

when you

working

are

as a material

manent. But

think

wonderful.

am inhibited by

I'm paranoid about what

it.

But

it is

the

hard to have

pre-drawn areas of shape and

instead of letting

control itself or con-

love to paint.

don't care

if it is

don't care

that

don't care

somebody walked

don't care

the lines vary

don't care

if I

and shapes.

there

across

and there

in the

on paper

and got

are drips

have found or for

work.

dirt

and

it.

splatters.

it.

any control

not regarded as

if it

looks "good" and

instant reaction/response control the piece, control

at all).

Maybe

control

bad word.

a different kind of order that

tions. It requires individual interaction

can "work" with

all

and whether the finished (nothing

ever really finished) product conveys that whole feeling.

from order. Or

can paint, without inhibition, and experience the interac-

these elements and not be worried about the result

A vacation

that

whole 4' x 9' painting

can paint spontaneously without worrying

my movement and my

(if

paint

of the lesser elements of the painting;

all

"sacred" and "valuable," then

let

watered down, it

and then

spent $12.00 on the painting, and

wrinkled, torn.

don't paint on

don't care about

tion of line

oil paint,

per-

it.

don't care of the paper

energy

30 x 40 canvas and I

somewhat

a painting/drawing/sculpture performance.

you don't like

can

for a

like 'cause

And you can see

sturdy and can be sold and

should be worth something. However, when

next to nothing.

It is

pay $8.00

look

will

purchased cheaply, and use ink

it.

would enjoy

you.

Canvas

Maybe

it.

experiment and play with

painting and re-painting and trying to control trol

know

It is

pleasing to look

at.

emerges only from these condi-

and individual response

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;possibly

individual

interpretation. It is

manence

unimportant.

by a camera.

Chances

Its

are,

even

silicon

existence

make

don't have to

that are being done.

The

beyond

loose, natural, real, uninhibited,

already established.

will last as

trolling

temporary and

its

per-

can be made permanent

long as any works in canvas

blasts destroy canvas just as fast as paper.

computer chip has become the new

life

of man will be to service and serve the computer. Are

Computer banks

It is

permanent.

raw-paper paintings

Atomic

definition.

control information that

form. Eventually the only worth

there? In a lot of ways

are incapable of dealing with.

computers, or are we merely helping them

to control

us? This

are.

Are we con-

"1984" and

has been for the

last ten years. If

the

com-

puter continues to make the important

beyond our

decisions, store information

mental capabilities, and program physical

what

things (machines),

the role of the

human being? To

service our

And what is

computer?

the role of an artist?

Should the situation be

resisted or

accepted?

appears to

human

that

beings

have reached an end in the evolutionary

process.

will, if

we continue on

the

same path, eventually destroy ourselves.

are creating technologies to destroy

ourselves.

bly the that

are self-destructive. Possi-

computer

will save us.

Maybe

it is

good thing

we have

that

created a

life

form

can continue to evolve and grow beyond our capabilities.

The major question

is,

computerized mind, or can their future

and make

every day.

think

though, are we going to be able to control the evolution of the it

grow by

evolve and

itself?

Will computers be able to decide

happen without our aid? Computers can do more and more

are capable (with our minds, our technologies, our computers) of

creating computers as a form of life that can function

efficiently

than us in almost

every aspect of life.

Machine

aesthetic?

computers have any sense of aesthetics? Can an aesthetic pattern be pro-

grammed and

fed into a

given aesthetic?

The the

that

reasons and makes decisions based on a

going to be tested and

Why not?

role of the arts in

most important time

under a constant ened.

computer so

human

existence

for art the

realization that

world has ever seen.

The

our daily

lives, in

It is

human

If humans are

of this time

being pursued by the computers.

Our existence, our individuality, our creativity, our lives

ing machine aesthetic.

artist

tried. It is possibly

are threatened

creating

are threat-

this

com-

going to be up to us to establish a lasting position of the arts in

existence.

expendable, then emotions, enjoyment, indulgence, creative aesthetic,

and personality of human beings Question: As an

artist

are expendable.

aware of this situation, what should

my position be?

agree, to an extent, that

human

beings are incapable of evolving further,

we should

new

of creating a

The

it.

have trouble with

new

life

ous

beings?

form that can

life

human

survive the

transcend

evolve in the form

condition and question that

form be completely aesthetics

forced, because of

of the

traits

Have we created

own image" different

new

life

human

its

form

being?

life

form "in our

a completely

form?

This artist

human

the

very nature, to be a

with no

oblivi-

Should the

is:

the question that the

of our

because

times

has

will

have to

we who

ask,

lead the fight against a machine aesthetic or prepare people for

Minimal

machine

toward the

art leans

aesthetic.

it.

It is,

in a sense,

preparing us for the coming of the

machine age

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; boxes,

metal,

geo-

metric shapes, sculpture devoid of sculptural aesthetic, ideas devoid of a traditional aesthetic consideration.

people's ideas, and our daily

there

By being

negative are

positive act?

This

rock.

will they accept

as a

approach we should take?

as the future,

and

will

defeat

predicament,

world?

its

purpose?

actâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; is

that a

positive or negative?

the question that will decide

How do you help the human race aesthetic

Is this the

for the sake of trying to reveal the absurdity of the negative

Dada â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

for

Punk

you being positive?

people see the absurdity, or

Being negative

A warning of

the possibility that minimal art will have a shocking effect.

the possibilities of the future.

influences

life.

how do you

my position in

to realize its

the arts. In

predicament?

And

help to prepare humankind for the

life

if you

reality

do not see

of a machine-

comrade

to the

art rests

Can we abandon

the

computer or

history of

now?

being "abandoned" or

our duty, as

new

human

The

of humanity?

to the entire history

on our shoulders.

human

form based on

life

is it

"evolving," or "de-evolving"?

beings, to see the importance of an alternative all

life

form?

Isn't

our past discoveries and the result of the entire history of

beings?

Isn't this a

product of the

human race, a way to

save the

human

race

and continue the

evolution of life itself? Life

human

not only definable in

terms.

It is

are a necessary step in an evolutionary process.

lutionary process

there

time that

realize this.

trous. Life

are an "end,"

and

to believe that

We cannot know what the end of the evo-

we can

more valuable than human beings.

It is

are so vain that

evolve no further,

the living force that

beings as well as other animals, sky, water, energy, gravity, space.

any

(humans)

an end.

For us to stop the evolutionary process of life simply because believe

would be is

within

disas-

human

must be continued

cost.

The end

life. It

We I

would go on without

have a choice, whether

continue evolution on

this planet

or not.

vote "yes."

Everything in

When

this

notebook

idea, or a totally

more simple version of the

new

I still

will

later,

sometimes (usually)

original idea, or a

idea that develops as a result of the

This book contains thoughts evaluate old ideas,

1978

subject to change.

re-read an idea two or three days

defined, altered, or

beings would not be an

us.

we wish

ELECTION DAY. NOVEMBER

time

human

destruction of this planet, this solar system, by

and express

that are spontaneous.

first

have a more

new interpretation of the

one.

Every day

think differently, re-

my ideas in different terms.

believe any of the theory or philosophy

have written here next year

at this

be surprised.

I'm waiting: I'm waiting for the ink to dry. I

have just completed another landmark (for me, that

is)

painting.

It is

ever tried to utilize both arms to control two brushes. This afternoon

the

first

time

bought three

brushes that are approximately three

and move them about.

awkward

at first.

feel like I

tried to manipulate

side by side, both

feet long. It is

doing

them

amazing

several different ways: both

making the same motion while being held

paper by swinging them wildly, they make air. It

was

When

have

full

control of my faculties.

imental, but

managed

The

you

fling ink

hand. Although

left

be somewhat contrived.

first

painting

mov-

the

was making

was

frustrating not

understandably crude and exper-

brush experiments in one

to unify all the

working together

found myself much more aware, more

involved with every movement, especially with the to

very

wonderful "whooshing" sound as they cut

a very intense experience.

spontaneous gestures, the forms seemed

They were

several feet apart, both

ing simultaneously, moving alternately, and one at a time.

through the

hold them in your hands

"ceremonial stick dance."

total

composition by

fights to

be as controlled

repeating certain actions.

me it has an interesting feeling of conflict. The left hand

For

as the right.

The

The two hands different, they

right

hand

make

fights the left to

are constantly trying to

work

of the important judgments of line.

all

together, but because they are so distinctly

tend to struggle with each other to find

common

ground,

to find unity/

consistency.

When trol

player can; rate

have mastered the

when I can

unify

my movements

so that

involved

the possibilities of the kind of

same time,

at a

then perhaps

level;

"body-involvement" painting

can con-

as a

piano

very high will

bilities for this

if I

ever reach that time,

kind of painting.

The road

physical capabilities. Unfortunately

possibilities of this

feel in

will

endless.

will

have

There

many more

some way

that

theories,

ideas or possi-

no end, except an end of

probably never have time to explore the

"body-involvement" idea of painting because

new knowledge, new ideas, new

new approaches, and

may be continuing

frequently acquire

inevitably

new priorities.

a search, continuing an exploration that

other painters have started and were unable to finish because they advanced to ideas, as

will also, or

of the cruel simple

stopped before

fact

perhaps because they were unable of death.

their ideas are

seems

because

Their

lives are

that artists are never ready to die.

completed. Matisse making

new

discoveries

new

until the

ideas until death

interrupted. Every true artist leaves unresolved statements, interrupted searches.

new

significant discoveries, seemingly

exhausted

idea that results from these discoveries.

new

to carry out their ideas

time he could hardly see, using scissors, creating ideas that sparked

may be

have

currently

in.

Probably by that time,

at the

can paint consistently

of speed on a very spontaneous, natural, spiritual

exhausted

both arms interchangeably; when

ability to use

each arm separately and perform different movements

possibilities,

but there

There

always a

not a beginning.

not an end.

am a link in

The

a chain.

strength of

and

tions of those before I

hope

my own

which depends on after

contributions, as well as the contribu-

me.

not vain in thinking that

may be

exploring possibilities that

Stuart Davis, Jackson Pollock, Jean Dubuffet

and Pierre Alechinsky have

did not resolve. Their ideas are living ideas.

They cannot be

deeper and deeper. In

some sense

increase in alone, as

this unity,

the

power

artist

find comfort in the

to let

when

that they

my self-doubt and

am not alone, as

on and

they were not

When I am aware of

lack of self-confidence interfere, I

but

were on a similar search.

see their work. Their ideas live

feelings I've ever experienced.

a necessary part of an

it is

one of

important

no end.

M B E R 12, 1978

After experiencing the

Mark Rothko

before, but the clarity

piece an added intensity.

National Gallery in a series.

knowledge it

initiated

resolved, only explored

of the brotherhood ever was or ever will be alone.

and refuse

most wonderful

work

feel

as they are explored and rediscovered.

search to which there

NO VE

not alone.

artists like

The grouping

retrospective

and unity

The

time

first

room with

had

feel

really

eight paintings

enlightened.

had seen Rothko's

stayed in that

room

experienced his work was in the

on paper from the "Brown and Grey"

of these works in a single

heightened their impact.

reflected in a retrospective exhibition gives each

room concentrated for a

their

energy and

long time becoming completely

involved with his work. I

had a

similar experience at the

body of work provokes ing.

His work

left little

ideas

and

Guggenheim. Being

in the

company of such

realizations that are not generated

unanswered.

was

by a

a large

single paint-

a solid statement, perhaps taken to

its full-

est extent.

The development of his painting style can be

easily traced

back

to his early figurative

works. As early as 1938, rectangular considerations appeared in his work. Although they

were merely backgrounds

for his increasingly surreal imagery, there

was

a specific divi-

sion of the canvas into rectangular planes. In a painting from 1944, Horizontal Processions, the influence

of Gorky was evident.

appeared

bridge between surreal and expressionist imagery. painting leaned position,

more toward

be more and more making the

Through

the 1940s his interest in

the quality of the brush strokes, his sensitivity toward

and the abandonment of

line for

abstract solid fields of color. In

com1946

planes began to dominate the paintings. There

a logic oflayers. In

ing appeared with the edges of the canvas treated as a frame.

The

the sensation of colors floating above the surface.

become more and more evolved through of elements to produce

maximum

The

paint-

first

use of the edge creates

use of color frame and

the remaining years.

effect.

1947 the

field

He works with a minimum

limitations he creates for himself

restraining his imagery to pure fields of color only heighten his creative powers.

The most

prevalent feelings

experienced throughout the show was one of unity.

The work presented spanned almost 50 years that

an essential step

it is

upon

in the evolution

to its fullest extent. It

Looking

one piece, you

work represents

commitment

realize

an idea that

proves once again that there can be an infinite

of variations on any given idea. There ical

life.

of an entire body of work. Each painting builds

the previous accomplishments. His

he pursues

of his

no end

to possibilities.

The

only end

number

the phys-

one, which he chose to create for himself.

In the floor piece (sculpture)

get

maximum

constructing:

use out of positive/negative space relationships in this particular

piece, keep this in mind:

Shapes

that contain

no inner components of positive/negative

relationships will function better with other shapes of the

Shapes

same nature.

that have positive/negative relationships existing within their

(besides the obvious one: shape related to space as a whole)

may be

own

structure

less functional

when

placed within the context of a multiple group of shapes.

Shapes

that contain positive/negative

viewing piece as a whole, when

this

shape

components already may is

set aside

distract viewer

from

of another shape or in a large group

of shapes. (A) Eye tends to be

drawn

to "individual"

shapes instead of the structure created by

an entire "group" of shapes. (B) If each shape operates only in a positive/negative relationship

member

of a group, the effect

when viewed

as a

one of more unity and more flowing movement. Eye

tends to view as a whole, instead of grouping individual shapes.

Both of these principles can operate level,

but consideration of these

To effective

on separate

levels or

combined

facts is important.

use these structures without any understanding of their specific effect

less

and possibly confusing.

most perfect example of my attempts

in the

snow

the

perfect form. Inevitably the

snow

in constant change:

Drawing pictures

permanency or

its

form. Drawing in the

record specific thoughts

effectively

snow

at a specific time.

There

no way

to create a

to control

its

like trying to paint a picture that will

You draw

fast

and you

are always aware that

you

are creating

something very temporary, very auto-destructive, very

quickly and there

not time to worry about

and the time

time

tion

and destruction.

exists

it.

It is

instant. It

has occupied in a never-ending process of creation/construc-

circle. It is

possible to reach the highest levels of instantaneous

response recorded in spontaneous method and representative of purest thought

working with the knowledge

you

are

in a

broader sense, significant

passing, time existing.

goes

important for the experience, for the

work you

create

temporary, insignificant

an immediate sense, a perfect representation of time

Then you

that the

when

realize

you

are reacting instead of acting.

Responding

instead of contriving. Art instead of imitation. Primal response. Humanistic attempts at

succeeding time. This,

I feel, is

the advantage to creating art at this point in time:

are temporary,

must confront

it.

Art

are facing our self-destruction,

When we realize that

are realizing our fate

and we

the only sensible primal response to an outlook of possible

destruction (obliteration).

DECEMBER An

environment by definition

influences.

The environment

Student Gallery on 23rd Street

been

New York, as

have created in the room

composed of paintings

at the

that

School of Visual Arts

have done since

have

well as a collection of paper paintings from the Pittsburgh paper-

constructed box environment. as a

the assemblage of surrounding things, conditions or

that

paper environment. So,

Some

in fact,

of these pieces were hanging in the room

some of the paper

New

in the

I first

used

York environment

third-generation.

The

first

piece

and Crafts Center across the ceiling.

created was in a small, all-white

in Pittsburgh.

These pipes hung

room. From these pipes

in the

and

at different levels

hung (with

graphs, discarded paintings

room

basement of the Arts

This room had several pipes running horizontally

string) several pieces

had done and then ripped

drawings, photo-backdrop paper and small paintings

different depths across the

of paper: wallpaper, litho-

in pieces, I

telephone-book pages,

had done. The

floor

was then

covered with paper, and tempera paint was squirted on the paper from squeeze bottles.

The this

colors were bright

piece for

me was

and created wonderful patterns. The most important aspect of

the fact that for the

time fantasy: to throw paint in a After the paint dried bristol

board (20" x 30")

in front

first

time

removed the paper from

actually

was able

room without worrying where the floor.

to live out a long-

landed.

Then I hung

four pieces of

eye level across the front of the space. This acted as a barrier

of the painted papers.

The

bristol

board had been painted previously with India

2 3

ink in a tight, almost geometric

and functioned two

feet

They had been

style.

painted while placed side by side

one painting. However, when they were hung

in the

room

there

was

of space between each paper, so that the connection was less obvious, but dis-

cernible.

The

pipes were arranged

the paper hanging

There

at different levels,

different "planes."

no remaining photographs of this work.

are

The second paper environment was done Crafts Center.

constructed a

hung from

then

creating a grid.

my one-man show

the ceiling seven feet from the floor. String (bristol)

in the corner so only

walls were covered with metallic paper

The remaining paper

interesting because

and play with the motion, pulled, because they were

The New York

etc.

all

The

eral large

all

four sides. first

There was

doorway

three.

Some

There was the paper

in the front.

environment were then hung from the

vinyl.

you could walk around within

The hanging

papers would

all

and move the paintings

move

one

string

were

with a

new

attached to the same string grid ceiling.

a combination of these

walls are quite large, approximately I

nail to nail,

sides.

paper box. Also new paintings and pieces of paintings

installation

paper paintings.

Arts and

This frame was

was wrapped from

two

effects

approach. Instead of hanging the pieces from the ceiling, they are walls.

at the

two sides were covered on the outside. The inside

pieces from the

strings in the false ceiling of the

into each side.

was hung from the

were added. The floor was covered with red

was

wooden frame and put nails

Then heavy paper

The piece was

so an interesting depth was created by

used

all

20 x 25

feet,

of the large paintings

all

attached to the

and required the use of sevI

had with the exception of

of the paintings were ripped in pieces to distribute the imagery more evenly.

metallic

makes

and bright red tape applied

diagonals in

some

places.

The form

three-dimensional.

After the walls were completely covered, the floor was covered with white paper.

next day

placed a video monitor in the lobby outside the

attached so that

worked the camera

all

inside the room, while the monitor

The most

2 4

latex that

recorded on video tape.

alter, obliterate

gallery.

could record while the image was being shown

had four gallons of white

was

live.

The

R.F. unit was

Drew

Straub

the picture in the lobby.

put into squeeze bottles and painted the room. This

A few days later

important idea involved

images that

showed

removed

in these three

had created. The

the paper from the floor.

works

ability to tear

the freedom of will to rip,

up my paintings so

that they

can better serve me.

ronment

The

need

itself. If I

only consideration while creating the environment to rip

new piece with

before, for the sake of creating a

not

statements.

final

three murals tive

a stronger effect,

They can be changed, reshaped, combined,

used

environment. However,

in the

ultimate consideration

many works

involved in sacrificing

maximum

the

for the

effect.

will.

If there is

an idea that

access

Nothing

to.

implies that

feel is

new

worthy of my undivided

perfect, or the purest

it is

ated as nature

created.

never reach perfection.

be a creation of the

It is

we can

Granted,

create

attainable. I

create

created out of my

Human

works

form

The work

if I

had needed them

spirit.

a constant.

is,

naturally, a great risk

efforts,

will

use whatever

do not

believe

of a different

little

are constantly

ment through our

What I am

and changes. at

have that

capable of

not cre-

attempts at creation, but can

My work

can only

beings are in a constant state of change.

our capabilities within a certain span of time.

we have

already progressed because

art.

my own is

we we

new piece. at least to

variation that

our conception, are unchanged.

we can detect. Human

beings can never imitate

are victims of

changing and evolving. At best, we can record that develop-

Retrospective exhibits

proposing, or what

constant motion.

There

ideas.

is final,

reality. It is

or hope to achieve the same levels of perfection or timelessness.

life is full

This act of creation or knowledge of creation

Human

that represent

operating in ways that,

remains constant, with

even

the

fill

they are representative of a specific time, then they are possibly the purest

learned something from the

change

and re-worked old

ideas

own human

are capable of at that point, but after that point

Nature

There

beings are not capable of perfection.

human mind and

changes with time. Nature

change.

enjoyed

paintings are

destroyed. There were

sacred to the point of being unchangeable. If a piece

imitating the perfection of nature.

this

The

completion of one unified work, but

of risks. Risks are what make the difference between

best,

the envi-

or destroy images

probably would have used them.

The

it,

saved because they were important to me, personally, and were representa-

of the paintings

space,

a painting, paint over

acknowledge the

show

this idea

am practicing for myself, is fact that

my work

builds

clearly.

body of work

upon

itself,

that

evolves

eager to re-use a past work, re-interpret, develop further, build upon, free will.

no reason

to limit yourself

by abandoning old work or old

ideas.

Because

you think you do, you never can. You can only build upon past experiences and

past accomplishments.

Also, living under the threat of possible destruction in the form of nuclear war, etc., the

most important thing

the

most important thing

the present. Living day to day for each day as if it were

to think about.

These environments were created

induce

2 5

some

They evoke

reaction from the viewer.

feelings, ideas, impressions.

ple experience art without having to feel inhibited. altered, experienced. It

is art

that

somewhat

can be touched,

less "serious," less

want

felt,

to let

peo-

manipulated,

untouchable (sacred).

questions the use of the immaculate canvas, the use of dangerously fragile materials. against art that frightens people by cific

meaning of specific purpose,

Its

ing

at art

how

communicate some

It is

against art that has a spe-

feeling,

any

all

If art

it.

does not aim

that easily labeled, then

that feel-

able to look

it is

only

the others are ignorant of it.

purpose of

art is to destroy the

What

feeling.

The veiwer should be

without wondering whether he "understands"

who "understand" it and

define

Who "understands" any art?

be understood!

existing for those

experienced depends on the viewer.

and respond

It is

definition.

meaning,

its

it is

of "perfection."

state

its

The

it.

only legitimate definition

"individual definition," individual interpretation, a unique personal response that can only be valued as an opinion.

because there

none.

There

idea.

There

definition.

doesn't

mean

It exists to

Nobody knows what

meaning of my work

anything.

These environments

are not only for people

universal

It is

Every living organism responds to

who and

"understand"

environment. There

its

art.

They can be

capable of reaching is

all

levels

human being

The

placed in an unfamiliar environment.

only possibility of a void of response

nothing or that they

felt

the same. This

ably inhibited by the fear of being ignorant. This attitude

the possibility of a person stating that

did

open because of the

possibility of sounding unusual or

very prevalent today and probably always was. to

instead of trying to change

it.

for everyone.

To put

abstract ideas into

DECEMBER

18,

words

1978

After reviewing the ideas in this notebook there are several that

but never write in depth

feelings today.

about,

when

spontaneous and automatic.

conditioned response of a closed mind, prob-

The attitude of artists and educators generally adds Art

It is

no previous knowledge

of art necessary to experience the instinctive natural reaction that inevitably occurs a

be understood only as an individual response.

experienced by anybody, anywhere. life.

the ultimate

that

The one

idea that

my paintings and my

touched upon

recent sculpture deal

lightly,

feel are characteristic

more with space than with

picto-

rial

The

concerns.

images are the results of movements, manipulation within a given

space.

For example, as an afterthought, possibly the reason

insist

minutes of a painting drawing a border around the area

familiarizing myself with the scale of the painting

a border, or boundaries,

boundaries and

until

have

This

filled

is,

space.

first

few

because

am physically

have marked the given space

physically aware of

or considered the entire space that

all

edges. I've created

had previously mapped

out.

an afterthought, but that does not necessarily mean

created the paintings.

to paint

then proceed to work from an area and build upon that

said, at this point

was not aware of it while

about

about to paint.

experiencing the entire perimeter of the given space. After

and created

on spending the

It will

be interesting

my use of it in future paintings. all of my work may be more complex

to see if

aware-

ness of this will affect

My concerns in I

am just becoming aware

to utilize space

and movement

am becoming more

Questioning

this is

interesting work.

etc., forces

similar.

cians do.

have

to see

helping

to continue

movement and

They

all

of the

The

things that

concerns that can be applied to of the things that

tive of, is structure. I

how much he wants

Structure

contempo-

on which we

all

operate.

many

understand

though the (or similar)

my own

They

reasons

new

are universal

aspects of life. all

art

be structure. This question seemed

of everything

underlying everything.

unstructured. There

do "painting

dealing with in creating images/objects are not

an aspect of all forms of life, and that

dance

said, "I think

feel as

The same

was reading an interview with Douglas Dunn his

arts.

are not concerns that apply only to sculpture or painting.

swerable.

my main

are remarkably

structure as

with theatre people and performers as

conversations with these people are helping

One

it is

growing, thinking and inevitably doing

share visual concerns with film makers.

gravitated to a central plane

for creating art.

and they

or perhaps

about science and nature,

doing and why. That

intentions/concerns in relation to theirs.

common bond

concerns apply to

of,

consider spontaneity, improvisation, continuity and harmony as musi-

feel a

all

aware

and how important

My constant association with writers, dancers, actors, musicians,

performance" (video tapes). arts

art history,

aware of what

share the same concerns for space and

rary dancers.

now â&#x20AC;&#x201D; why?

question right

harmony.

more or understand more about

learn

about myself,

than

of how complex the thought process

do about

dance

forms are deriva-

which he to

as structure.

me By

asked

be unan-

definition."

No matter how "abstract" a piece becomes, it is never

order/structure within

all

matter,

all

action,

all

thought, no matter

2 7

how

unstructured

may

Time

appear.

imposes structure.

itself

One can work from

structured idea or format, or find structure within any given thought or act, even

if it

was

executed with no preconceived ideas or structural format.

Nothing

life.

chaotic. Everything has relationships within itself that reflect the underly-

ing structures.

The

Reducing form

obvious or

becoming more obvious, more opaque

structures are

to its essential elements. Clarifying order

by making

modern-day

either

less obvious!

Somewhere within

these groups of words

lie

the ideas within

my head fighting to get

out and be clarified/understood.

may be many more

think there

going on within

and un-obvious considerations

structural forces

my own work. What I am attempting to do is

to bring

them

to the surface

so that they can be explored (developed) further.

not making pictures anymore.

disinterest in finished products

and

"final statements" illustrates this idea.

more concerned with becoming involved with of my

human

ment.

body.

constantly being

bombarded with

some of them back. To

only wish to throw

affect others, as theirs affect

me.

interaction between people

who

influences from

environ-

create energies/influences that will

paintings, themselves, are not as important as the

see

the area that surrounds the physical reality

them and

the ideas that they take with

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the

thoughts and feelings

after

they leave the presence of

from

their consciousness as a result of their contact with

painting

them

have evoked

thoughts and feelings as

seen through the physical reality of images/objects. I

was most aware of the success of my intentions the

pieces in the

22nd

onto 22nd Street.

doors

to take

Street sculpture studio.

They were

tell

ideas,

me what

me was

not, for the

most

the

2 8

for a loading dock. in.

and watch, or

was.

part, gallery-goers is

They are open

traffic

did large floor

on 22nd

is light,

when

it is

but

many

with me,

hear vastly different opinions,

The main

thing that

stop and talk to me.

They were

different levels.

and not people who generally frequent is

would work near the

look once, or discuss

who would

an audience that to art

The

at least

was wonderful

the "kinds" of individuals

several times

building has huge doors that open

same piece of many

they were interested. There sarily ignorant.

to stop

they thought

comments on

impressed

used

advantage of the sunlight pouring

people would take time out or

originally

The

MoMA,

but

being ignored, but they are not neces-

open

them.

1978 On

Ma n

Exhibitions

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Westbeth Painters Space,

New York City

New York City Club 57, New York City PS. 122,

2 9

1979

JANUARY A

few days

and

after the last

that

felt

11, 19

7 9

statement in this journal,

was not nearly accurate enough.

re-read

much

of what

had written

seemed shallow and understated.

was

determined to throw away the previous pages. Instead, however, I just stopped writing I felt certain that my efforts were destined my "real" thoughts and motivations.

the journal because

would only hint Tonight

much

re-read

them again and found

my surprise, seemed

to take

that

fruitless,

some remain disturbing while

on new meaning

in light of

at best

others,

current thought and

recently acquired knowledge.

The major William

casts of the

Nova Convention, and

Gysin, which

own work and to the

influence, although

not the sole influence, has been the work of

Burroughs. His profound realizations, which in the

encountered in radio broad-

book The Third Mind by Burroughs and Brion

have just begun to read, are beginning to

tie

a lot of loose

ends

thinking. Conversations with Barbara Buckner, Lucio Pozzi, introduction

work of Gertrude

Stein

and Meredith Monk, writings by Van Gogh, John Cage,

Richard Kostelanetz, conversations with

friends

Mary Gleasen, Drew

Oswald, Brian Warren, Frank Holliday, Nina Renna, listening

and Brian Warren, working with words and images

as related to

Straub, Kermit

music by Steve Reich muscle patterns with

Ellen

Webb, spending

of "Sound

the days, intensely, with a port-o-pak, playing

Web" simultaneously and becoming instantly amazed

my two video

at possibilities

and image juxtaposition, hearing poetry by John Giorno read through

tapes

of sound

a tape-delay sys-

tem, video class with Barbara Buckner: All of these things are accumulating and defining

each other and being interchanged and compared to realize that

it is all

one unit and

consciousness; a

understood associations made between

and Chinese symbolism, new

many more

questions.

seems impossible

directions,

when

Still,

interest in tacit

words,

what

finally starting

knowledge, attempts

new meaning to all

reflection,

seems

new understanding and many,

to only

touch on the surface.

Human

the "effect" of art

thinking.

JANUARY 12, 1979 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 21 FIRST AVENUE APT. NEW YORK CITY Thoughts about

the previously mis-

choice of imagery and Aztec and Egyptian

re-read, this

to record efficiently

each other, and I'm

changes (of awareness) are taking place

that dramatic

new understanding and

beginning to think in images as opposed

18,

the viewer.

response (instinctive): people respond

physically to size

psychologically to color

emotionally to recognizable objects conceptually to ideas

emotionally to excessive negativism physically to

sound

physically to

movement.

Actually, in varied situations

These thoughts

are

all

of these are probably interchangeable.

derivative

personal

quest

for

the

source of

image/object making. In questioning the reason

"why" I make

art

and "what"

want

to achieve

by making

"art," the question inevitably arises:

"What respond I

to,

the effect of

creation

and how do you induce

the viewer?"

a specific

and then, "What do people

response within these guidelines?" or

"Am

seeking a conditioned response?"

This comes because

3 2

has

at a

time

when

have had to stop and ask myself a

become very important

know why

lot

of questions,

I'm doing what I'm doing, for

Keith Haring

tit

the

School of Visual Arts,

New

sent because

aware that

what

Today still

42nd

awoke

dark.

Street

to fully

understand what

Things make sense

in time.

my ideas were clearer, then

feel that if

to take a

really

do have

will lead,

think, however, that

watch the

to the river.

a pretty

but that

and decided

restless

bus uptown

and walked behind the U.N.

know where do

somewhat

early, felt

decided

thinking and found

don't

cannot hope

doing

However,

there

at the pre-

has been a

would be no

limits to

could do with those ideas.

was

in the present.

still

pressing issue because

1979

of not knowing, and continuing to make objects/images without any basis for their

fear

existence.

York City,

to walk.

city

When

wake up.

got outside

got off the bus

spent a long time walking and

good idea about what I'm

trying to do.

impossible to know.

no matter how many ways

try to

break away from

it, I

basically a painter.

still

My attempts at sculpture (if there is any need for distinction) have been through very painterly

ors are

methods and concerns.

all

stemming from

believed that

my video, music, and movement endeav-

obsessive need to paint or to

work with

issues that have in

the past been attributed to painting. I

new left

think

somewhere

to painting.

untouched.

lost sight

of the

fact that

already working in ways that are

Although others have explored many of the same

My painting at this point is

destruction of accepted limitations.

lowing one direction. sizes.

Each painting

lines.

do not repeat

much

do not wish

to limit

my personal

exploration by

fol-

have been working on the floor on paper in a number of different

ideas, there

mostly experimenting with limitations, or the

the

different in that

same

set

has a different set of limitations and out-

of influences/reference points in more than one paint-

3 3

ing.

have explored using three-foot-long brushes and using two hands simultaneously.

paint from different directions within or without a border.

with each environment a specific time, place, I

time.

believe that

it is

and

created

in,

Although the

totally

influenced by

result of only

The

painting

my own

believe that

viewed by others, viewer.

it is

that

any given

and

and private (unless there

soon as another

actions, as

an association and inevitable interchange of

hands.

interest in

gone

it is

for the

to consider the viewer at all

body of work

some is

when work-

being produced that

being

responsibility for the artist to consider the

not important, but some thought should be

it.

intrigued by what people see as the function of art in their

That depends, society. If to

encompasses

creator or supplier of their art,

you

it is

necessary to consider their

own

lives.

lives as well as

And

suppose, on what you personally believe the function of "art"

are uninterested in public interaction with

your

then there

art,

as a

my own. in

is is

consider the public.

find myself walking a thin line

and what

think

think art

It is

between doing what

think

important, personally,

important to stay in touch with the public, or wondering whether the

public understands their I

immediate environment

intentions

unimportant

when

feel there is

How much

given to

part.

Although

need

then no longer in

ing on an individual piece,

our

of execution varies

of influences.

set

person has seen the painting there

The speed

in that sense representational. It represents

act of painting itself is ultimately personal

an audience) and the

most

of my main interests has continued to be the viewer.

One

thought.

and

own need

for art or

even has a function for

art in their lives.

a necessary part of our environment, our society.

an idea, a way of life, of seeing and being, an attitude toward

understanding of order. Physical attempts

communicating

life,

a respect

this idea result in

and

what we

call "art."

attempts are mere records of my existence, records of my interaction within any

given space and time.

not the idea.

My tions

The

idea

The is

result

just a result

and alludes only

obsessiveness in creating images and objects has led

on image making.

to the idea.

The

result

the idea.

most current work has been

through many varia-

to dissect

derive essential forms and shapes that are interesting individually.

shapes, physical and painted, allows

to explore their characters

paintings to

Working with

and symbolism

depth. Trying to understand shapes or form. Exploring structure. Variations on any given idea.

3 4

Last night

painted over three paintings hanging in

ink so that the entire surface

and underneath the black

became

ink.

black.

They were

There

is,

my room

however,

with more black

going on within

a lot

me and

very interesting for

also

somewhat

liberating.

Finally breaking I

the influences that I

away from

my strong inclination

interested in reacting to I

be obvious.

my environment, either my immediate

pick up and carry along in

saw beautiful Egyptian drawings

today.

surroundings or

my memory.

There

be learned from Egyptian

a lot to

design concepts and their use of symbols. I

intrigued with the shapes people choose as their symbols to create a language.

There were forms,

several drawings

way back

the

all

showing how the symbols were derived from

to picture

symbolism. There

an indication of the entire object with a

common

minimum

within

of lines, that becomes a symbol. This

to all languages, all people, all times. Possibly that is

why I am

calligraphic images, hieroglyphic forms, basic structures that are all

their previous

forms a basic structure,

all

so inclined to use

common

to all

people of

times and, therefore, interesting to us as well.

There

possibly within

my paintings more meaning representationally than I would

care to admit. I

paint images that are derivative of

personal exploration.

leave

others to decipher them, to understand their symbolism and implications.

merely the middleman. other sources. into

hands.

who

will

the

ideas

my or

it.

sup-

constant

contact with the viewer

and

after,

<&/.

derive

In this way,

the

own

receive

meanings from

pose,

through the use of images and objects

form.

interpreter

information their

then out of

responsibility

viewer

gather information, or receive information that comes from

translate that information

physical

The duty

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the "viewer" as he feeds me information previous to the work,

when he becomes

the "actual viewer,"

and responds

with his

own unique

interpretation.

3 5

Cut-Outs

Now

after all these

words

want

work.

wanted

cle "Earthly Paradise" in

recopy some of these ideas by

Matisse and then experiment with some paper cut-outs.

quote from Mark Stevens's

arti-

Newsweek, September 19, 1977:

Matisse himself said drawing was of the spirit and color of the senses

and

that the

two were

in eternal conflict. In his cut-

outs Matisse believed he married the two enemies by drawing

in color. ture,

also believed that

and drawing. His

he had linked painting, sculp-

scissors bit into the

gouache the way

chisel carves into stone or a pencil cuts into paper.

One move-

ment, he said, linked line with color and contour with surface.

Gustave Moreau told Matisse he was born to simplify painting,

and the

artist

labored to find what he called the sign,

or essence of an object. time to

suppose

know what

that the reverse

its

One must

sign

is,

also true, that

comes from your accumulated subconscious that sign for a long time to

With

this in

JANUARY

mind,

study an object for a long

he cautioned.

you

create a spontaneous sign that

collection of objects, then

know what object it

one must study

represents.

proceed.

1979

12,

My room is in a constant state of change. Three days ago I had done two paintings, one of which was black ink on top of a "red tempera on brown wrapping paper" painting. The black ink covered everything on the original paper except one small triangle (red). Also

painted a small bristol board black with only a triangle

There was

also a black-on-white 9'

and much black later

painted

area.

all

was unable

left

white.

x 5' painting done with two three-foot brushes

to adjust to this painting

except without glasses.

three of these paintings with black ink so that

A day

none of the "images"

remained obvious.

These "black" paintings hung on my Matisse-inspired paper cut-outs. small and the only things in

are

one small section of the room. The

3 6

walls for another day.

You must understand

first

all

then had the idea for that

my room

very

clothes, stereo, supplies, etc., carefully arranged in

rest

of the space

white with huge sheets of clear

plastic

on two of the

plastic.

There

One

walls.

no permanent pieces

are

window covered with

of the walls has a

and masking tape can be used on the

plastic.

three layers of

room. The walls can be tacked into

When I hang

art in the

room

easily,

works

as a

For instance, the three black paintings.

unit.

The

room now operates

entire

four sheets of painted paper. relationship between the ferent.

Now as

I sit

here

The

room

one unit since I

first

wanted

all

the pieces

to write

room

yesterday and the

seems

reason

today.

though the cut-outs are

come from

about

this

The mood

was

same

the

show

the

strikingly dif-

a direct reaction against the

black paintings.

you

Plastics allow

and perspective

to use multiple planes as

one

unit, therefore creating actual

depth

— in real space —physical space — the logic of layers, without being an

illu-

sion.

Recent exhibitions of what

shadows

make

termed "Abstract

The

surface images float.

images taped to the surface has the same wall.

The shadows add

JANUARY This journal

work

why

After the cut-outs,

on the

floor,

of clear plastic with paper cut-out

effect if the plastic is

hung inches

in front of the

7 9

me, most helpful

doing and

make use of

interesting "logical depth."

2 1, for

is,

effect

Illusionist" paintings

think

if it

can portray a reasonably accurate account of the

am doing it.

spent a day with a tube of red gouache.

which was begun by drawing four or

with gouache. While these were drying

five

did one 9' x 7' painting

red forms (similar to the cut-outs)

did a drawing on a set of four sheets of bristol

board with gouache. After this

and the

large painting

had

several coats of gouache,

painting with black ink. Using a quarter-inch-wide brush

but

after

faster

becoming more influenced by

and used

ing and

returned to the large

started out semi-controlled,

the music (classical station

radio)

worked

my hands as well as my brush. At that point I had lost control of the paint-

was painting

itself.

quarter-cup of gouache (red).

After that painting, I

began

one form on each piece of paper.

ran out of ink. However,

I still

had a

paint 7"x 974" pieces of sketchbook paper with

painted until

ran out of gouache. Approximately 25

pieces.

this

point

had

started reading parts of Kandinsky's

Art and found that the part of the book related to these drawings

color

embodied

and

opened

Concerning the Spiritual in

was dealing with information

directly

specifically dealing with the effect of the color red

and

in form, etc.

3 7

"coincidences"

It is

make me continue

like this that

in the face of prevailing

was constantly doubting the relevance of these drawings

some points

did them.

doubt.

They seemed

be nothing more than stylized symbols from the English alphabet.

Another problem was: necessary any longer.

painting or drawing?

use the terms interchangeably.

cerned with form than color, although

it is

don't think the distinction

am, however, currently more con-

impossible to deal with them as completely

separate concerns. After these drawings

When

went

buy more

ink.

returned to the "red form" drawings

each red. However,

after

doing three of these

also

thought

bought ajar of opaque red I

wanted

add

didn't like the effect

paint the remaining areas black: leaving three red-on-black drawings. step

was red ink on

out several pieces of

tar paper. I cut

tar

paper

ink.

form

and proceeded

a black

The

obvious next

to 7"

x 9'/4" and

painted with red ink on them, similar in scale and form to the "red on white" drawings.

There were 10 of them. The next day

them out (black and white)

laid

to create a

kind of

checkerboard-floor piece (just another variation).

That day

was

SoHo and found

a bright red poster printed with Oriental charac-

of ripped paper, and about 200 pieces of white mat-board.

ters, several rolls

The

Oriental poster

removed from the wall and white

wall across from the red

bristol

red and black images and the direct relationship like

ripped in a few places) and put

The power

of the intense

had with these drawings made

seem

another logical step in a process.

The

ripped paper

not (or

at this

red-white-black drawings. However,

The x

(it

board drawing.

time does not appear to be) directly related to the

was

significant.

was the most amazing was

thing that

that the

will explain later.

200 pieces of mat-board were 1

\a"

9'/4" exactly. Coincidence? I

proceeded

draw black

(ink)

forms on the pieces similar

to the previous red-on-

white and red-on-black drawings.

At I

this

point

had approximately 40 of these black-on-white drawings.

stopped, temporarily, because of questioning their relevance,

But

now

unclear, but

write this

down

it all

appears to make sense.

my motives, etc.

The

implications are

still

have had several ideas about these drawings and about cycles, processes

and evolving forms

(in

some way

related to

Dorothea Rockburne's "drawings

that

make

themselves," in a different context, however):

The importance

3 8

of "chance" and being open to outside forces and directives.

The

artist as a tool, a vehicle, a victim.

The

displacement of forms and the

ability to

change, rearrange, group, isolate and

control form for an infinite

The

"final,"

music, dance,

human

terms

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;grid or linear structure; this idea led to ideas concerning

etc.

All things are

Difference

measured by

adherence to or deviance from a given structure.

their

measured by sameness.

We "see" in terms of associate and

relative structures.

The importance

at this stage is, for

of these drawings

evolving process. Each one

The

another.

point where

cycle

am no longer interested

ate different variations

Another

and

when

something

may be interchanged

else.

to cre-

however unrelated.

issue:

of the most successful recent drawings was one that was done because while

traced

plastic,

has remained one of my favorite forms.

was cut allow

opposed

ripped one of my favorite shapes.

wanted

onto a piece of graph paper and painted the image with the red ink.

may

Each idea leads

them, and/or have proceeded

a log-

have exhausted the possibilities to the

effects for different reasons,

was removing the cut-outs from the to save

dependence on

their

derivative of the previous one.

complete, for me,

me,

After the process, the resulting physical objects/images

One

never "finished."

imposition of structure on form.

Structure in

ical

number of effects â&#x20AC;&#x201D; never

to painted?"

My question is, "How important is

The

the fact that

completeness, accurateness, finalness of a cut

be more direct, more spontaneous and therefore more interesting. All of

these drawings are derivative of the floor sculpture that was "cut." Perhaps the impor-

tance of the physical act of cutting (sawing) has been overlooked in

obsession with

the resulting forms as forms.

Another

issue:

recent interest in the "grouping" of photo images.

rently, three places

where there

one grouping of two photos Perhaps

are in

are groupings of three rectangular images

(alike in size

house, cur-

(all alike),

and

and imagery, but not composition).

has something to do with the obvious reality that they are "reproducible"

photo images and are

all alike.

Possibly because reaction or

There

never create objects/images that are identical in

my interest in a photo

duplication, repetition, etc.

The grouping is

image

that

it is

my own work, my

an exact reproduction and

based on

Groups of three, by preference.

also related to

my use

of paper and the relationships between paper

as a rectangular form.

Being aware of the form of the paper, as well as the images or forms on the paper.

This brings

me back to

the ripped paper that

found

SoHo.

3 9

This paper was continuing interest

significant to

One

it.

of the

because

made me aware of the importance of the

have had in the physical form of paper.

has been a major force in

about

first

art since

1977.

It is

one of the

have often considered

it,

factors that

but never wrote

considerations was a reaction against the stretched canvas and

framed or matted picture, the growing attitude of "everything happens

for a reason,

everything will happen inevitably anyway, therefore, there are not really any mistakes and

no reason

to exert

burgh,

unnecessary amounts of control." This attitude has prevailed to a cer-

but has taken on different levels of importance and meaning. While in

tain extent,

began

interested in

"paper

as a positive factor instead of a restraint. different materials

as I

and unrelated objects

Two

paper" and using the physical form of paper

was becoming more interested to create a unified piece.

which consisted of a lithograph

sculpture,"

with string from the ceiling.

Pitts-

that

was then

in using

many

created a "print

rolled over with ink

and hung

other pieces of paper were added and "asphaltum"

(used in the litho process: ink thinned with lacquer thinner) was squirted on the one so that

dripped onto the other two.

white room

at the

The

piece was installed in the basement in the

Arts 8c Crafts Center of Pittsburgh.

and

restrained by weight

string

was the driving

first

paper environment installed in that room.

that

would

inevitably be wrinkled or torn.

of the paper as

This was the piece

force. I

The form

was

all-

was

that led to the

working with "found" paper

also

Or deliberately

tearing paper (without control

or preconceived intentions) and using the resulting pieces sculpturally. Also using the effect that ink or paint

had on paper when

dried (unevenness and texture caused con-

traction).

These

interests

continued

paper. So, continually

be as important

interests

as the

have been twofold

for the physical

of paper that are, as

form of the paper.

The

was painting on the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the forms on the paper and the

form of the paper. They do not operate separately except used solely

images

in the case of unpainted

my wall now is

piece on

found them, ripped into one shape.

It is

paper

seven pieces

a repeated form, but each

piece has personal variations (small rips or wrinkles) and each hangs slightly differendy

have begun to work with clear plastic combined with paper and logic of layers.

son that these recent pieces are important to these properties of paper, ical

consideration.

It is

and have chosen

becoming more apparent

intention/direction has been one of the I

am doing and

The Mark Rothko

that

main issues

The

rea-

have become more aware of

to continue to use

strong underlying unity or framework within

question what

paper as

a sculptural, phys-

me, through writing, that there

work. This unity and/or clearness of in

my mind since

began

to seriously

why.

retrospective has been a major influence

on my current thought.

Also, the understanding that everything

looking back,

my use

When

something previous.

related to

of paper as form and the evolution of this idea through

many

dif-

ferent aspects, the relationships are obvious.

Quoting from the

Village Voice review of the

"Grid Show"

at the

Pace Gallery

in Jan-

uary 1979:

medium will expand upon

"Everything done well within a given

back

also refer

JANUARY Back

and tying up loose ends.

helpful advice and

Things

had

drawing

class today.

received

much

be considered: of the individual forms.

they transcend symbols and are they

my most creative powers?

There were some forms that interest I

and

critique about the recent isolated-form drawings.

The importance expressing

possibilities,

1979

2 2,

to school

its

previous uses of it, however inadvertently."

that did, however,

most of them did

most, find out why, pursue

not. Therefore, study the

that.

then questioned whether they might not be interesting to different people: different

people = different choices. However,

found that

after

asking several people to leaf

through them, they almost unanimously chose the same ones as the "most interesting."

They were

also the ones

had pointed out

had chosen

as her favorites.

favorites,

That poses

a lot of

and the ones

new

drawing teacher

questions, and a lot of

new

answers. Also,

teacher, Barbara Schwartz, suggested that

and more work on Consider

Try

tar paper.

of the space on the page.

all

my favorite

shapes in a number of different scales, placements, mediums,

Create images that reflect

Trust It is

my own

taste,

don't be so self-conscious.

important to understand the space relationships and compositional factors that

my Video

when he

desire to master

me.

Art workshop

that

got the

all

started the class It

that

he undertakes.

by hearing Barbara Buckner read

was about the period

questioning everything he

book out of the

can build upon them and go further.

Theo from Vincent Van Gogh.

beginning)

for

etc.

my own spirit more clearly, more precisely.

am investigating â&#x20AC;&#x201D; know them â&#x20AC;&#x201D; so letter to

monoprints could be helpful,

came

library, as well as

in a painter's

life

(the

doing and being disillusioned by his

an important time and was very helpful Paul Klee's diaries.

She

also discussed the importance of the existence of the spiritual involvement of the

artist in his

work. Art has become as religion in the past few decades. Readings from

Kandinsky, Van Gogh, Jung, Leger,

etc.

Also, the importance of dreams. Explore the implications, problem-solving in the

subconscious.

The phenomena

of art as a secular act since the 13th or 14th century, before that a

group endeavor. It's

in a

good

be back

in school, in conversation with other artists,

being criticized, and

working atmosphere. I

have become self-confident while on

this vacation,

not aware that

still

student.

important to acknowledge that

It is

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that

should be open

to everything,

and

that

am merely gathering information.

not place too

They are

much emphasis on my

current experimentation and investigations.

only records of my search.

Nature artist

glamorous

be truly taciturn.

Moreover, in order to

to the point of confusion, let the

work toward

be successful,

it is

necessary never

conception of the picture completely

thought out in advance. Instead, one must give oneself completely to the developing portion of the area to

The omy:

total

impression

be painted.

then rooted in the principle of econ-

to derive the effect of the

whole from

a few steps.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Paul Klee, from his diary

FEBRUARY My

11,

interest in video

7 9

to explore the juxtaposition of

words and images or sounds and

images to formulate results that require the participation and individual interpretation of the viewer.

My interest in painting is to explore the infinite variations of form and space relationships to produce objects and images that require the participation and individual interpretation of the viewer.

My interest in life is to explore as many of its infinite variables as am physically able I

to,

consciously as well as unconsciously.

MARCH

1979

26,

Proposal for installation

SVA Gallery, TriBeCa

interest in this space

between

space and the others

this

structural qualities.

interest

continue the objectives that have been inherent in

past installations and hopefully to take I

is,

them one step

have worked in

further.

that

The

significant difference

already contains interesting

as before, to redefine the structural qualities of the

space, therefore altering the viewer's perception of it.

The

only mandatory supplies are white paint and painting materials so that

paint the entire

room white

can

(including the floor). Also, the door would be removed from

the hinges during the installation.

My money,

procedure from that point would be

work within

the given limitations (time,

etc.).

number of

Since the

combinations are also

This material

and forms

colors

infinite,

infinite, their

and simultaneously,

their effort.

inexhaustible.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Wassily Kandinsky, Concerning the Spiritual in Art

SEPTEMBER The

1979: KUTZTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

fog begins to break. I

Kutztown, convalescing. Hepatitis a week before school resumed. So

have missed one week of school; there time to start this semester, but

What am

into place

may be

a chance of going

back

now

classes that are timely

am also

and other

that

and

love

and

that

a Visual Science course that deals all

forms of life.

air,

dirty streets, dirty looks. I'm not

much.

Kutztown has June Paik

New York City air. That deadening pace that won't human wastelands. The impending New York FEAR that is

always a factor in whatever you are doing. Dirty all

York

missing that wonderful

quit. Derelicts

missing

New

and seemed important information sources

are Semiotics with Bill Beckley

with universal coordinates/patterns and underlying connections between I

unlikely.

missing?

The two main fit

it is

far I

its

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;visiting

good

points. Kermit

artist in

sanity. Precise order.

and

his studio. Brian living with Kermit.

Nam

September. Mimeograph machine. Excessive amounts of Fresh

air.

A different background noise

still

hum but a

4 3

softer,

at a time

natural buzz.

when

Somehow chunks

works out

to contemplate, time to reflect

that

to read

chunk come

their first encounter.

without

much

while you

effort

me by

Almost always

on my

may or may

part. It

and

reaffirmation.

"chance" and others are sought

this

to read

than to do.

become new, while some appear

a long time but

and dream. Time

read and experience things in big chunks.

are always closely knitted together. Cross-references

the parts of the

with

Time

may be more important

the

Some

Some were

after.

have been with

And

always

chunk of information/awareness comes

stumbling across a gold box on a deserted road

not have been looking where you were walking.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA In 1977

when I was working

their gallery

and

a conference

alchemists,

was

in contact

me most

then and that

room containing many

refer to

to to

and quotations by

artifacts, prints,

with these objects and ideas every day.

I still

was exposed

was located next

Corp.

in the cafeteria at Fischer Scientific

a very thorough collection of "alchemy artifacts." Since the cafeteria

The quote

that struck

often was one printed on a 5" x 9" card and hung

The

beside a large painting of The Alchemist's Studio.

air

was

of excitement. All of the

full

paintings contained a feeling of mystery with confidence.

"Chance Well,

came before lating

favors the prepared mind."

have it.

chunk

this

That's always

how it works. And

that kind of absorbs this

and stronger and

little larger.

And

new

that it

chunk

new awareness

in the universe.

leading

The mind

accumu-

new

toward a

of the universe. All

and

off it

functions.

into this eternal universal informa-

and then your chunk can

They grow

together.

really start to grow.

They kind

of throb.

A Vehicle of the Way (Wen Yi Tsai Tao) And

the

way

as long as the

mind

deep, comprising

memory

not only the personal "mind-system," but the huge

storehouse of the "universal mind" in which "discriminations, desires, attachments

and deeds" have been collecting "since

beginningless time" and which "like a magician"

that

every time you tap that you get closer to a kind of computer hook-up

and feed into

doesn't grow ...

on everything

light

also binds itself to this larger

where you can plug your own personal accumulation tion

shedding

information and makes the whole chunk

Well, part of this

possible acknowledgment of the big

knowledge.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Louis Pasteur

new chunk of information

causes

Or maybe

phantom

things

and people

appear and move about.

(Lankavatara-Sutra, 60, B, 300)

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Quoted from Preamble to Towards a

New American Poetics,

edited by Ekbert Faas

Anyway,

new information

this

all

came

summer under one

this

big label:

POETRY. I

have been enlightened.

was [very

system through

have fallen into poetry and

large black rectangle] its

bowels,

will

and when

spits

has swallowed

me back

out, or

me up.

when

leave

its

be [black rectangle] again.

THE CHUNK CALLED POETRY. It

started with

ber 1978.

It's

JOHN GIORNO and BURROUGHS

reading

CAGE and

starting

in February. It's the poetries of video-tape

and GINSBERG and GIORNO upstairs

first

at the

and BARBARA BUCKNER.

MUDD

at the

STRAUB, who was reading BURROUGHS thoroughly. FENLEY.

It's

ART

THIS SUMMER.

QUEENS.

It's

reading SAINT

It's

etc. It's

CLUB.

It's

all

summer and

ON THE

BIG EGO

ALBUM

reading RIMBAUD, KEATS, JEAN

the

It's

SIN

BOY mimeograph

paintings

did in the

fall

of 1978.

read GRASPING

second glance and

lots

it's

NOW-

for the

It's

DREW AT JOHN WEBER

beautiful. IT'S

(A MAN).

It's

Chinese pattern paintings

It's

AT EMPTINESS

AVENUE C WITH DINA, DOZO, AND FUGACHAN as SEX. It's

you and

POETIC UNDER-

Xenon. READING GINSBERG'S JOURNALS, READING SEMI-

records skip for ten minutes and thinking

and ART

Club 57 watching fireworks and thinking

KERMIT'S HOUSE. BARBARA SCHWARTZ ON 22ND STREET AND

JOHN GIORNO

work

MEREDITH MONK,

ideas. It's

GALLERY BUILDING A ROBERT SMITHSON. DREW'S RAIN DANCE listening to

BOOKS THAT FIND

OTEXT, READING GERTRUDE STEIN, READING "HOWL" FOR THE FIRST TIME.

NOW-NOW and

DREW

July 4 on the top of the Empire State Building

about the smile exchanged on the street and nothing but

KLAUS NOMI

meeting another

It's

living with

with GIORNO,

STANDING AND JUSTIFIABLE HATE.

dreaming.

SVA

COCTEAU, JOHN CAGE, HEGEL, JEAN

body but mostly your

ART

BURROUGHS

subway going

A LIBRARY

sharing everything including your

reading an

It's

tape recorders from SVA for most

GENET, TALKING POETICS FROM NAROPA INSTITUTE.

after

Decem-

VIDEO CLONES with MOLISSA

GENET by SARTRE on

library

BOOKS THAT YOU JUST FIND

PATTI SMITH

It's

GLASS,

It's

BOY and CLUB 57 POETRY READINGS EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT

books from SVA

of the summer.

YOU.

SIN

Nova Convention

recording with four cassettes

IN LITTLE ITALY.

27th time.

It's

It's letting

HAVING DINNER ON

thinking about SEX as

ART

continued situations and controlled environments, B-52s, BATHS,

4 5

AND SEX WITH

FRIENDS. IT'S PAPA

AND JOHN MCLAUGHLIN AND OUTER SPACE AND

JET SET AND DELTAS AND THE ASTRO TWIST AND KENNY SCHARF AND LARRY LEVAN. It's

being heckled reading what

may be my

favorite

mimeograph piece with two tape

TO OTHER POETS AT CLUB

recorders and being called a FAGGOT. IT'S LISTENING

TALKING TO POETS. BEING A POET AT CLUB

STROMBOLI was

READING.

PIZZA.

It's

having one night

form and everyone knows

in top

57.

It's

painting on ST.

Club 57 when everyone

and everyone

smiling.

BEING QUOTED IN HIS POEM AS SAYING,

IT'S

OF AN ARTIST THAN A

POET,' SAID KEITH." IT'S

XEROXES WALKING HOME DRUNK.

It's

TECHNICIANS OF THE SACRED

now TIM MILLER book I bought.

has

IT'S

CONSIDER MYSELF MORE

window

BUDDHA.

now

lent to

ABOUT

SIN that are

IT'S

poems

OUT THE SPACE AGE BEGAN den

MoMA.

It's

IT'S

in winter

DOUGLAS

ART."

It's

hearing

in themselves. It's painting

IN 1958.

It's

CARL ANDRE POEMS

JONES BEACH ON SUNDAYS.

made

It's

STEVE PAXTON

and

in spring it

in a

new

and understanding them

DAVIS'S ARTICLE IN

IT'S

TIOUS.

not going to look

KEVIN CRAWFORD AND

DREW

FINDING

dancing in the sculpture gar-

It's

listening to old cassettes

A NOTION OF PROPHECY.

It's

GERMANY.

It's

JAPAN.

It's

loose joints and conversations. IT'S

understanding painting. IT'S

SOMEONE

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ALL ART BEING PRETEN-

ART B.

HAND-

in the suburbs.

parallel poles. IT'S

for the first time.

INDUSTRIALS.

YELLING "LICK FAT BOYS."

on walls

finding

THE VILLAGE VOICE about post-modern art. "POST-

pornographic pictures and black feathers.

DOW JONES AND THE

It's

THE MOMA SUMMER SCULPTURE SHOW.

MATISSE, it's MATISSE.

THE SAME THING, THE SAME THING.

It's

seeing a

DREAMS OF FALLING INTO WARM WATER HOLE WITH

LONG ISLAND WITH 1958 AND 1980 on

the bridge in

I'm reading references to

EXOTIC FISH CREATURE AND ENOUGH LIGHT TO SEE EVERYTHING.

It's

ALL THOSE THINGS THAT FIT TOGETHER SO PERFECTLY THAT IT

APPEARS PREDETERMINED.

BILLS

TAPING UP

IT'S

BUYING JEROME ROTHENBERG'S BOOK

BARBARA BUCKNER had

that

out of the library and

HAL SIEROWITZ

MAKING XEROXES and mimeographs.

looking in the

TRUCK THAT SAYS "BETTER METHODS."

57.

outside of

open reading

in the

It's

MEETING CHARLES STANLEY AND BEING APPREHENSIVE.

IT'S

MARKS

in the galleries

all

summer.

It's

STRAUB and thinking about

seeing drawings by

the relationship. IT'S

THINKING ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEEMINGLY UNRELATED OBJECTS

AND EVENTS. els as

can.

It's

principles. IT'S IT'S

art "context." It's thinking

thinking about myself.

It's

THE POETRY OF NUMBERS.

about poetry on as many different

companions and

ratios

systems that evoke systems. ORDER-FORM-STRUCTURE-MATTER.

BROWN DANCE.

4 6

IT'S

ITALIAN FILMS

FROM

and mathematical

Language, culture, time,

THE PAST PRESENT FUTURE ALL TIME NO TIME SAME THING. 1967. IT'S LAURIE

lev-

spirit, universe.

It's It's

systems within seeing

TRISHA

ANDERSON AT MUDD

CLUB.

It's

NEW MUSIC, NEW YORK at the KITCHEN for a week. IT'S CHARLIE MORROW'S

PIECE FOR 60 CLARINETS AT BATTERY PARK IN CELEBRATION OF

SUMMER AT SUNSET.

It's

BAUD'S ILLUMINATIONS

DRINKING PERRIER. on the

Street. IT'S

TAPES

A.J.

the

THE FIRST DAY OF

BRONX ZOO. Reading RIMBAUD'S LETTERS. Reading RIM-

ON THE SUBWAY AND

IT'S FELLINI

A CAFE EATIN' CREMOLATA AND

KWONG

FILMS WITH TSENG

CHI.

NOW NOW NOW

CONVERSATION WITH LYNN UMLAUF ABOUT THE

WEBER GALLERY SHOW.

XEROXES PUT UP

IT'S

IN the

finding things

It's

West Village

Gay

for

later. IT'S THE NINTH MARCH TALKING ABOUT APATHY AND MILITANCY. It's

Pride weekend and hearing people that had seen them months

CIRCLE AFTER THE GAY PRIDE

wearing and distributing red-and-white stripes for one evening. IT'S READING AT CLUB

57 WHILE THIS

WOMAN who

AHHH and DO

IT and

GRAND CENTRAL STATION

found out was GLORIE TROPP

later

YEAH

while I'm reading and

A HURRY.

feels

saying things like

good. IT'S

the poetics of chance. IT'S

It's

XEROXES

GOING TO THE

POETRY SECTION INSTEAD OF THE ART SECTION WHEN YOU GO INTO A BOOKSTORE. It's

a panel about

performance

MEREDITH MONK, LAURIE ANDERSON, JULIE

with

art

HEYWARD, CONNIE BECKLEY, AND ROSALEE GOLDBERG. WAY.

It's

riding the

BRIAN WARREN'S

BUS FROM

NEW

PIECES.

KUTZTOWN TO

It's

kill. It's

talking to yourself. IT'S

HEBREW.

It's

MANHATTAN

feeling real

It's

telling other

good about being an

IT'S

KERMIT'S

THE SUMMER.

epileptic

fits

It's

MOHOLY-NAGY.

reading

NAKED LUNCH.

It's

playing

CROQUET

art context. It's suicide. It's

It's

it.

It's

IT'S

artist. It's

delivering tropical plants in Manhattan. IT'S

CONNIE BECKLEY'S INSTALLATION

NEW DRAWINGS.

SUB-

people that depression can be productive and

IT'S

DISEASE XEROXES.

JOSEPH KOSUTH AT CASTELLI ON CONCEPT AND CONTEXT. "JUNIPER TREE."

THE

KOZO'S BIRTHDAY PARTY AND SPANISH AND JAPANESE AND

"Running on Empty." IN

GRAFFITI IN

IT'S

WITH CONNIE BECKLEY.

reading BRIAN'S journal and feeling close to

A SHORT POEM CALLED "ART BOY." depression that can

N.Y.C.

ART AS

in the

IT'S

VIDEO

Kutztown.

SIN AS IF

It's

JOAN JONAS'S

ROOM AT MoMA. It's

talking about

NO ART AS

ART.

It's

JEAN COCTEAU WRITING ON "THE ORIGINAL SIN OF ART."

IT'S

ANONYMOUS

ING

TO THE "UNI-VERSE"

DREW STRAUB'S "UNI-VERSE" WHILE

SEX. IT'S RE-READING

cut-up tapes

we did

LISTEN-

February or March IN AUGUST. IT'S

READING BURROUGHS'S TALK ABOUT WORK WITH CUT-UPS ON TAPE IN AUGUST

MONTHS AFTER WE HAD READ THE THIRD MIND AND DID THE SAME THING. It's the most logical step. LOGICAL DOESN'T MEAN RATIONAL. It's science-fiction films. It's reading SARTRE'S SAINT sent to

GENET ALL SUMMER with much

KERMIT OSWALD 172 W. MAIN

summer except maybe once

ST.

or twice. IT'S

else in

KUTZTOWN

PA.

between.

19530.

It's

40 postcards

not painting

all

UNDERSTANDING WHY I SHOULDN'T TRY TO

4 7

UNDERSTAND.

"NEGATIVE CAPABILITY"— AS SAID KEATS. DIANE

IT'S

"LIGHT AND KEATS." IT'S

It's

wanting

AN IDEA FOR TOTAL THEATRE.

A GARDEN

IT'S

know more.

It's

new understanding.

IT'S

A BEGINNING A SEED

THE BIG CHUNK CALLED POETRY.

DECEMBER 21,1817 (THE WINTER SOLSTICE) JOHN KEATS

The ing

excellence of every art

tionship with beauty and truth

my mind, and man

is its

once

struck

several things dovetailed in

form a

of achievement, especially in literature, and which Shake-

is,

teries,

son.

capable of mak-

me what quality went to

speare possessed so enormously that

intensity,

disagreeables evaporate, from their being in close rela-

all

when

man

—

mean

negative capability,

capable of being in uncertainties, mys-

doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and rea-

— Coleridge, for instance, would not go by a fine isolated

verisimilitude caught from the penetralium of mystery, from

being incapable of remaining content with half knowledge.

This pursued through volumes would perhaps take us no

fur-

ther than this, that with a great poet the sense of beauty over-

comes every other consideration, or

rather obliterates

all

consideration.

The word conveys so far from poetry?

the thing;

May

it is

the thing

be that poetry

itself.

Are we

only the reverse

side of masturbation?

—Jean-Paul Sartre (Saint Genet)

But above

poem,

all

there's a sense-of-unity that

poet +

man

+ world

world + image image + word

word + music music + dance

surrounds the

a reality concept that acts as a cement, a unification of

perspective linking

PRIMA ON

an accumulation of information.

dance + dancer

man

dancer +

man

+ world

etc.

All of which has

been put

many

different

ways

notably as a feeling for "the solidarity of

toward a "law of metamorphosis"

— by Cassirer

all

leading

life"

thought and word.

—Jerome Rothenberg (Technicians of the Sacred)

This

not to invoke the mouldy cliche of a marriage

between East and West but rather the concept, held by Robert

Duncan, of multiphasic modern man global culture for the ics is

first

he emerges into a

time in history. Present-day aesthet-

an eclectic hybrid of the primitive and

—a

constantly widening conglomerate

bits

of information ranging from quantum mechanics

and new scrappy

civilized, the old

shamanism or

And

made up of

the forces behind

its

ever-

changing patterns, which have caused the most drastic

reori-

entation of Western art since

biology.

its

beginnings, are

all

the

elusive as they are unprecedented.

— Ekbert Faas (Towards a New American Poetics)

FEBRUARY I

27,

1818—JOHN KEATS

think poetry should surprise by a fine excess, and not by

singularity;

should

strike the reader as a

wording of his own

highest thoughts, and appear almost as a remembrance.

APRIL

1818—JOHN KEATS

The innumerable compositions and decompositions which

take place

between the

intellect

and

its

thousand mate-

4 9

before

rials

arrives at that trembling, delicate

and snail-horn

perception of beauty.

Acrostics, Reading Horizontally

ART

SIN

BOY

ART

LICK

FAT

BOYS

ANOTHER REVOLVING TRIANGLE SYMBOLIZES INCESTUOUS NATURE

BEFORE OUR YEARNINGS

ARROGANT SIGN INFINITE FALLING

NEVER OURS INSIDE FEELING

NUMB OUTSIDE ALCHEMY REVEALS TENSION LOOKING INSIDE CALCULATE KARMA FIND

ANOTHER TRIANGLE

BEFORE OURS YIELDS SILENCE

SEPTEMBER

7 9

Read excerpts from The Tao of Painting and Chinese Calligraphy

Kutztown

State

Library.

Getting

restless.

Watch tape loop of Video and

Clones; seen in

new poetic

light.

Thoughts about sequence

repetition.

Reading The New Television/A Public Private Art, by Davis and Simmons. I

don't talk much.

Easily inhibited.

SEPTEMBER

12,

7 9

Making cut-ups/collages with information from 1.

Computer instructions

"Guide

to Visual

Sister's

work

for

three available sources:

ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTER.

Aids and Teaching" (from Mother's college course).

sheets from third grade dealing with

WORD MEANING/CONTEXT,

ETC.

Made

word computer data sheet with computer

instructions

and words cut out

and pasted on data paper.

OCTOBER

1979

THINKING ABOUT BOXES

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MAKE "GOOD" ART? MEANING

PRESUPPOSITION OF FUNCTION.

WITTGENSTEIN.

WHO CARES IF YOU DO OR DON'T. SOMEONE IS

THE SUBWAY

TALKING TO THEMSELF. TALKING ABOUT TALKING. TALKING

ABOUT NOBODY LISTENING. IF

WHO CARES

YOU "MAKE" ART.

WHAT IS "MAKING"? SEEING

ONLY

MAKING

SOMEONE

THE PERSON

SEEING.

THE SUBWAY IS

SCREAMING, "NOBODY IS

LISTENING,"

EVERYONE

BUT

LISTENING

AND SEEING AND MAKING AND BEING.

DARK MOVIE HOUSE SUCKING SOUNDS

PHOTOS TODAY

TIMES SQ.

BEFORE AND AFTER. SALIVA SHINES

BIG COCKS.

LOOKING

AT PORNOGRAPHY ON

42ND

ST.

RECOGNIZE

A GUY I MET ON

CHRISTOPHER STREET. NICE COCK. SMILES.

ACTION COSTS MONEY GLOSSY PHOTO MAKES HIM SEEM REAL.

FASHION BOY SITS UP

STRAIGHT AND DOESN'T SMILE. I

WANNA SUCK

YOUR COCK MOVIE MAN, I

WANNA

WANNA HOLD YOUR

HAND, WALA!!

PRETTY EAST VILLAGE

BOY YOU LOOK LIKE A POET WANT TO I

LICK YOUR FINGERS. I

WANT YOUR FINGERS

Imagining shadows ignoring truth.

Blank

stare with

matching

glasses.

Didn't shave today

5 2

MY MOUTH.

and don't

care.

Dressing in costumes.

Color

and so

distorted

IVe

time.

never seen this face before.

on TRAIN across

Sitting

from hippies.

What

sick.

feel

did

find out since then?

I'm thinking of memories that I

fit

saw

a formula.

band

this

a few

years ago.

used

have a

was too

pigtail.

late

when I even thought was

These jerks and

a hippie.

it's

are

still

four years

confused

later.

LET ME FUCK YOU LITTLE HIPPIE BOY. LET SIT

HERE AND WRITE

THINGS ABOUT YOUR FAT LITTLE COCK.

YOU COULD

SNATCH AWAY MY

BOOK AND READ MY

WORDS YOU WOULD (AND YOUR HIPPIE FRIENDS)

MY FACE. SUCKING YOUR

KICK IN I'M

COCKS LITTLE HIPPIES IN

MY MIND.

5 3

OCTOBER

7 9

FUCKING

FRIENDLY

FIRST

REALLY

RED

REAL

ENOUGH

ENERGY

ENLIGHTENMENT

DOOR

DOES

ENDS

ENTER

ENOUGH

IMPLY

INSIDE

INJURY

NAUTICAL

HEART

HEAT

HOLY

ONLY

OPENS

OBJECT

REVEALS

REVOLVING

RETURNS

NOTHING

NERVES

NOTION

FEET

FRED

FORGETTING

ROLLING

READING

REALITY

ENDLESSLY

ENTIRE

ENVELOPE

DOWN

DIARY

DIRTY

INCIDENT

INITIALLY

INSIDE

NICE

NON-CHALANT

NO-ONE

HOT

HEAD

HEARS

OTHER

OUR

RESISTANCE

RESEARCH

REPEATED

NURTURED

NAMED

NATURE

POPE

NO RED CURTAINS

ONLY

READING LIGHT

TV.

WET

RUM

REFLECT

TIGHT

LOVE

MOUTH

OPEN

EAT

WATER

PICTURES

LIPS

CAKE FEELS

CONVERSATION

WARM

SCREAM

POPE

IDENTITY

WALK

FACE

FRED'S

ILLUMINATED

BRONCO

FORD

CALLING

ESCAPES

MILK

SAYING

POPE

SEX

CHRIST

COME NOW

HOT REFLECTION JOHN'S FRIEND

5 4

WET CURLS

HAIR

EMPTY

RECIPROCATE

OCTOBER Watched

INSUFFICIENT

QUESTION

TIME

POPE

TALKING

SIGH

WET WARM MEMORY NEXT

REVEALS

CALLING

GLASSES

ENOUGH

STOP

HOT

SMILE

ENLIGHTENMENT

FIRST

RETURNS

MASTURBATE

SALIVATE

7 9

the 45-minute dance tape of Molissa Fenley

and Joan Frist— twice.

Painting on St. Mark's Place

Red on

black

20 color

slides

OCTOBER

documentation

1979

Suzanne Langer speaks of ritual

as "the formalization of overt behavior in the

presence of

sacred objects."

APPRECIATION OF ART

WISE MERE DILETTANTISM.

A MORAL ERECTION; OTHERBELIEVE SEXUALITY

THE

—Jean Cocteau, Writers

Work

OF ALL FRIENDSHIP.

BASIS

(Paris Review Series)

KNOW AM I

SOLID AND SOUND,

TO ME THE CONVERG-

ING OBJECTS OF THE UNIVERSE PERPETUALLY FLOW, ALL ARE

WRITTEN TO ME, AND

MUST GET WHAT THAT WRITING

MEANS.

—Walt Whitman, "Leaves of Grass," 1, 57

YOU OBJECTS THAT CALL FROM DIFFUSION MY MEANINGS

AND GIVE THEM SHAPE.

-W. Whitman, "Leaves of Grass," 1,

178

5 5

LOCATIONS AND TIMES— WHAT

ME THAT MEETS

IT IN

THEM ALL, WHENEVER AND WHEREVER, AND MAKES ME AT HOME? FORMS, COLORS, DENSITIES,

ODORS— WHAT

IT IN

THAT CORRESPONDS WITH THEM.

—W. Whitman a vast similitude interlocks all, all spheres,

grown, ingrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets,

though they

all souls, all living bodies

be ever

so different this vast similitude spans them, and always has spann'd

and shall forever span them and compactly

hold and enclose them —Walt Whitman

33rd street subway station thirty-fourth street flag shirts kitty tries to commit suicide

screaming colored

OCTOBER

1979

17,

DRESSED ALL IN BLACK DRESSED

woman fear

RODE UP

AN ELEVATOR FOUR FLOORS WITH A BLACK MAN

ALL WHITE.

Wittgenstein:

The

existence of an internal relation between possible situa-

tions expresses itself in language tion

by means of an internal

between the propositions representing them.

Even

the world

consists of infinitely affairs is

is infinitely

many

states

affairs

composed of infinitely many

information of the message

addressee

when he

and every

state

would

still

REDUCED by

the

objects, there

fact

only

selects a definitive interpretation. In the

case of aesthetic messages

5 6

rela-

complex, so that every

have to be objects and states of affairs.

The

which require the simultaneous

grasping of multiple senses, the informational quality of the

message remains UNREDUCED.

Heraclitus:

The hidden harmony

It is

painters,

what

better than the obvious.

strikes

me most

Van Gogh,

who, without going any

further in

the painter of

what

called

"painting," neither setting aside the tube, nor the brush, nor the framework, nor the motif, nor the canvas, nor the intrinsic

beauty of the subject or the object, managed to impassion nature and objects to such a degree that the fabulous stories

of Edgar Allan Poe,

Herman

Melville, Nathaniel

Hawthorne,

Gerard de Nerval, Achim Arnim or Hoffman say no more

on the psychological and dramatic plane than these twopenny canvasses.

—Antonin Artaud Recording spreads time over space; time into space.

mapping of

gives time the properties of space, in partic-

ular, reproducibility,

permanence,

reversibility,

and

divisibil-

ity. ..

—Abraham Moles The

artistic

deed

AUTONOMOUS, independent

technique of construction. structures, but nothing

may be

its

accessible through

its

a priori indicates that these are con-

nected with the technique of construction.

—Abraham Moles, Information Theory and Esthetic Perception

EVERY WAKING HOUR

WE WEAVE WHETHER WE WILL OR NO EVERY TRIVIAL ACT

5 7

OR WORD INTO THE WARP MUST GO

-From 9th

OCTOBER

30,

And some

part of

thinks that this will it's

something

else. It's talking

these guys, wanting

minute.

know you

It's

about

and

And

want

be rejected.

OCTOBER

that's

all

really

and

frustration.

it's

boys everywhere. the time

and

wanting.

It's

why you want

not.

saying anything at

And I want you.

my mother

still

31,

need

want

it. I

need.

here.

Street

it.

It's

And

it's

they're bored.

not

Now it means

ideal. It's

It's

some-

acting different every

need.

1979

PLAID EVERY HAIR PLACE SHIRT

EYES MISINTERPRET INTEREST

LONGING RECIPROCATE CALLING NOSE AS SPECIFIC IMAGE FUN EVERY BEING TIME DISTORTS

SMOKES PROFILE AS LURIE BOYS

NOSE AS MACHO SIGNIFIER TIMES SEMIOTIC EXPAND VOCABULARY

BACKGROUND MUSIC CULTURE CHINA

WHO OWNS WORDS MAKE DREW SAY BLACK EYES GO DEEP PIERCE HARD

LOOKING WISHING MISINTERPRET ALWAYS FANTASY WORLD TALKING IMAGINE PERFECT

all? It's getting to the

It's

ego. Ego.

Grandma and

Need

— fuck — fuck me. Fuck

LOOKING BACK ROW BOY

HOT OCCASION

HE RETURNS GAZE HARD EYES

o 8

it's

your friends

and I'm standing on 54th

answers and no time to wait. I

feel this, eventually. Is

'cause I'm just 21

away.

better

looking and looking and erections without a cause, without a cause and with-

being able to work and not. always

them bad, but not

can't have

out reciprocation. Reciprocate.

make

boys everywhere, and

wanting

thing you

school P.S. 122

1979

knowing why or how. And

all

St.

NOW

don't

point of not

need reciprocation.

dying and I'm crying

know why.

have no

answers. People look and turn it.

Fuck.

WANT NEED LONG I

CLOSETS KEEP SUBURB BOYS HOME

MY JAPANESE ANY AGAIN WOULD TRY HARD WHAT NOW

VISIT I

LOVING BACK

ROW BOY LOOKING

STABBED TO DEATH BY BALL-POINT PEN

CRYING SCREAMING

ERECTION SLIDES

DOWN

CASTRATION FANTASY

ARTAUD SAID HE SAW HE SAW ALWAYS MINE FACTUAL LOVE KILLS STABBED TO DEATH BY BALL-POINT PEN

BLACK LEATHER ITALIAN DOMINATION

CALLING AFTER HE SAID

BLACK EYES HIT HARD STILL WAITING IN LINES

ARTAUD SAID HE SAW

MONSTERS EATING FLESH LICK OFTEN

WARM MEAT

BLACK SHIRT RIPS OPEN REVEAL MEAT RED EYES

ERECTION SLIDES

DOWN

NOW TALKING STILL NOW HAVING DONE NO WRONG LATER

FRANKLIN FRED BEING

EFFORT ACKNOWLEDGES IDEA

BLACK EYE MAKE UP TRYING

MEETING OTHER RETURN UNHARMED

RETURN FOCUS RETURN FULL POLISH BREAKFAST CLARITY RINGING

FUN CHEEKS AS BEFORE

INFORMATION THEORY AND THEN SORE LEGS HARD FLOOR

5 9

MISSING FRED'S SMALL

ROOM

HALLOWEEN MEANS NOTHING LAST PENIS YEAR T-SHIRT

RETURN TO SAME MEMORY PROPHETIC POPE SCREAM STORIES

OTHER NOW NOW ACCOMPLISHED

LYING SELF LOVES

TRICK NOT

REJECT THIS OVER AGAIN I

DO JOB ALWAYS HE TELLS

WISHING LOOKS WEREN'T WAITING

NOVEMBER [NO DATE], 1979 Writing in a book

also putting time in

boxes

— pages — the time in books

time than recorded time because you choose what speed to read

Time

all

The

of the factors part of the "art experience"

"effect" of a

talked about as is

much

work of

qualities

(i.e.,

itself.

itself?

possibly because of the limits of language,

as the formal qualities of the

argued that we are only

art,

work

as essential to the experience of the

mal

it.

defines context.

experience "art" as a result of many factors outside of the actual "art"

Are

a different

its

work

itself.

Although

rarely

often, the effect

formal characteristics.

can then be

touch with the experience through the perception of those

materiality

— existence). However, the "art experience"

for-

dependent

not more dependent on context, concept, viewing situation, and the personal precon-

ceptions and miscellaneous knowledge of the viewer's context, than one of those formal qualities.

Formalism

born of verbalization.

These thoughts occurred and wall-painting

after seeing the

Buddhist Chinese monumental statues

directly outside of the entrance to Clyfford Still's paintings.

view-

some of their formal qualities — size — relation to human — use of repetition to indicate number — use of intricate detail — craft — time in execution of art object — religious context — psychological effect of scale, number — materiality (weight roughness-solidity-power) — seemed that was having an experience (they ing these pieces and considering scale

were having an

effect)

because of these factors.

And it was

apparent that their intention in

using these factors was to create an effect outside of the work rative. It is ities

not only aware of

of the piece

itself as

itself. (It

much

was not created

was

itself. It is

not merely deco-

as a perfection of these formal qual-

as an attempt to cause an effect to

form

a situation

of communication— a transformation of energy. This transformation Is

aware of context.

dependent on context.) Overheard several people say of Clyfford

them

to appreciate

The

effect

and

the

paintings, "I hadn't seen

enough of

— a piece of time— a lifetime of paintings — in rela— overwhelming.

in relation to themselves

incredible "experience"

stirred inside of me to

Still's

— before this."

of seeing a body of work

tion to each other

The most

them

have had recently.

causes great emotion to be

be in contact with the lifetime of work of a powerful

same time being overwhelmed and

ing to listen to people denounce this

intellectually

work

moved and

filled

as meaningless, abstract,

artist.

While

with respect

— hav-

same

thing,

all

the

"You've seen one, you've seen them all"— to hear people walking through and trashing

what seems

quite an incredible feat.

It fills

with disgust sometimes to the point

of wanting to say something and usually laughing quietly or walking away. These paintings are

can

40 years old and some people

hope

can't even begin to deal with them,

even consider these people while

try to

make

how in

the hell

"art" in the present.

And

they are the majority.

The

"art

There smile.

world"

no more than

reality,

There

some people

very very small and very, very personal and for most people, in

philosophy in a physical manifestation.

a personal

shared interest, but are

it is

small.

some people here who

call art. I

think art

There

some people here

are

that

make me

are in touch with this shared idea about

much bigger thing

than

some would

like to

life

that

admit.

It is

easier to ignore.

New

York, which

supposedly the Art Center of the World

here there are small pockets of interest. Everyone interests

and

to try to reach all

"To come

of them

is fatal.

different

Clyfford

Still

at the

and they

all

present— even have different

knew about painting.

into contact with a truly wonderful 'work of art'

causes a tremendous revolution to occur in you."

— from The Art Spirit (as

Walking around looking

these paintings

remembered), R. Henri

— my

thoughts are clear

— there

insights into various kinds of "viewing situations," ideas about the relationships

the viewer

and the "work of art." Either they

are

between

arc viewing something that they feel they

could not physically do themselves, or are seeing something they respect because of quality,

time, value, historical value.

Sometimes they resent being

that they could "theoretically" physically

in contact with

something

do themselves.

They do

not want to be in contact with something, by virtue of an idea.

Some people

acknowledge "effect"

refuse to

— or

close themselves off from the

beginning with preconceptions, mis-conceptions, explanations, prejudices, pseudounderstanding,

To what

assumptions,

false

An artist has

It is

a presupposition that

language be extended

wider interaction between

fail.

artist

— stretched, diffused, so as to attempt to include a

and audience (public)? Should an attempt be made?

they want or need art?

They

are in contact with "art ideas"

whether they are aware of it or not, but can they

become more aware? Can they be having or experiencing Does

there have to be

acknowledgement?

Art experience as opposed to daily

ways of seeing (and they art

he will

extent can the boundaries of materiality, economy, political, social, histori-

cal, traditional

etc.

an impossible ambition.

life

art

without acknowledging

Is there art if no

—

if artists

are) to include daily

life

—

one

it?

seeing or receiving?

— these — experience as

expand these boundaries

if artists

see

life

— the qualities called art become the same qualities of a special experience of daily — are people who experience this special thing — are they having an art experience? Is if

life it

essential that they think of it in

an "art context"?

Is this idea threatening to art as Is television

things

and

are

making us all

commodity?

more aware of

all

aesthetic seeing

— can we

all

see special

— artists?

There has always been

a large void

between an

artist's

intention

and the actual

effect

of the materialization of that intention.

—commercial art seeks to close that gap — "effective" advertising. To what extent are artists involved with that idea — can our alienation from the idea Advertising

be mainly out of frustration? Art History lic

— the code of pathos — the dilemma of the dead

(and even the

withdraw

art public)

make

so far behind that

lose sight

totally personal, self-referential art that

artist's

and

frame

—

the pub-

forget they exist

and

interesting to other artists

only or "art sympathizers"?

Has ence"

the message of abstract art

not

— to

"fuck the audi-

the viewer relationships of the present?

think they are pluralistic.

It's

easy to

fall

cessful" endeavors

The

think they are vague and often ignored.

into a trap of making things that are in the

—

is it

a trap?

extent of change

Art as commodity.

6 2

— or

— forget them and make art, vaguely hoping that they will be interested after?

What are I

been unconsciously

a reflection of value?

manner of previous "suc-

However— what about eclectic

one

What

single

medium and

There

the "focusing"?

What about

the tilings that are missed by

methodologies? the value of the constant focusing of Clyfford

Still

for an entire lifetime

a limited vocabulary?

are substantial arguments

on both

sides.

retrospective always raises these questions

— of change,

growth, technique and

value judgments.

There

always some consistency

— even just the common factor of a single creator

presupposes continuity in a body of work.

Hope

of adding to universal knowledge any idea that

Knowledge goes forward. Knowledge increases by ing

—

all

new

influential.

Time

information adds to and transforms previous knowledge.

Cumulative knowledge. To make something to present an idea that that

proceeds.

the principle of accumulative think-

someone

takes in as an influential

idea— that adds

to all

knowledge

influential

— the

universal

mind.

Thinking

cumulative.

A form of "art" that would be acknowledge some

interest in time

true to this idea of cumulative thinking

would have

— exist in time — and think about the cumulative nature

of time and transform time.

This can be approached through it

adequate

medium

All existence

The

to explore

audio tape) would be an even more

cumulative knowledge. Cumulative information.

a different time

ent speeds and the information

time— you have

film,

cumulative.

time in books

when you

— fixed time— (painting, sculpture, photography),

seems recorded time (video tape,

however,

is all

because you can read the information

present

at the

same time and

at differ-

doesn't travel in

be the active perceiver instead of the passive receiver of information

read books.

—paintings — sculpture (art objects). — experience. Video tapes — film — performances exist within given "length of time" — existence — duration Ditto

Art performance

a specific time

— contain

their

own

Cumulative growth— time— exist through change.

Movement — changing in I

came home and took

time.

all

the things out of my pocket that

out the day and taped them onto a page of the

home. There

are several

little

"coincidences"

New

had picked up through-

York Times that

found on

my way

— overlaps of information. Things that have

distinct relationships although arbitrarily chosen.

6 3

And

then

went

Club 57

"Criticism

to play reggae miniature golf.

the salvation of art."

—Joseph Laploca

(in conversation)

"Meaning — metaphor — memory."

— Kermit Oswald (in conversation)

NO V EMBER Pieces of the

1979

14,

same thing

at different times.

time I'm also talking to you

at different

boxes keep time these boxes can take

At the same time

this

time and

make

in boxes. Putting things in boxes. Putting pieces of the

Pieces of the

same thing

NO V EMBER

at different times. It's the

17,

that

I'm talking

at the

same

times because I'm talking into these boxes these

same

a different time. Pieces of time

same thing

in different boxes.

thing.

1979

LOOKING AT JEAN (SAMO)'S

WINDOW AT PATRICIA FIELD'S.

PAINTED BOXES PAINTED CLOTHES

LOOKING AT PAINTINGS

HANGING ON A RACK

looking

SAMO

paintings in a clothing store.

in Patricia Field's.

Wednesday eat finally

and

told

there.

the 14th after

eat with

me about

ment

6 4

all

said he

the painting he

Utrecht's and paint and put got the paint

my performance

SAMO and he

all

this paint

SVA

for 12 hours,

knew about

had done

went

Kiev

the performance but wasn't

that day.

on the canvas and

He bought let

canvas

cars run over

and

over himself and then got on the subway and went to an appoint-

Fiorucci and got paint on

EVERYTHING on

the

way and

Fiorucci he got

He was

paint on the rug and couch and rich ladies' furs.

asked to leave before his

appointment.

NOVEMBER Last night

2 0,

Kenny and

1979

went

this incredible

black

woman

Times Square

Barbara Buckner's video tape

I've

incredible abstract chord changes.

in a

She was

and the only way you could

tures of songs

the words.

heard

She did the most

—

after seeing

We watched

long time. She would go through these

unaware of the preconceived

totally

tell

what she was playing was by

far-out version of "Blue

the only people watching except for

at the Donnell Library.

orange poncho playing an electric organ.

in a fluorescent

She was the best organ player

do Polaroid photographs

Pictures of the Lost

Suede Shoes"

struc-

listening to

ever heard.

We were

two other men.

"She sang the blues juxtaposed with space organ." —Jet (Kenny) Scharf

NOVEMBER Heard BEUYS

Saw him

2 0,

1979 — BEVYS

Cooper Union January

the next day at 125 Delancey St.

— Real Estate Show

"Poverty means nothing to a is

SHOW

man

with a dream. Drawing

the probity of art."

— from conversations with Charles Stanley while sitting for portrait,

NOVEMBER PENIS

3 0,

January 1980

1979

POEM

HE SAID TRAIN RUTGERS MEDIA ANSWER SAMO.

WINDOW LOOKING CONFRONTATION

FOLLOWING STREET LOOKING ALWAYS AFTER FINALLY CATCHING

6 5

INTERPRET SEEING

WORDS BED FLOOR This

happened

boy 'cause we were

... I

met

this

Patricia Field's— followed

him

to the East

really

doing 69.

Made

way — never seen

love

SAMO's window time

ever

came

— Nova Convention poster in hall-

30, 1979

written as heard in Semiotics Class

— continuously.

PHYSICS

PURE

POINT

EASIEST

BLUE

YELLOW YEAH

CAN'T

TO SURE THING READILY MARINE

MEAN

RIGHT

EASIEST

SUPPOSE

NO SO SOMETHING HOW

INDIVIDUALLY

COLORS

EQUIPMENT

PEOPLE

LEVEL

SAID

COMBINE

OR UP EXPERIMENT SUPPOSE

RIGHT

lights

home — first

again.

NOVEMBER Words

under blinking Christmas

looking

late

Village— went

KNOW

EYES

SUPPOSEDLY

EVERYBODY O.K.

LEARNED

HUH? DEGREES

O.K.

OTHER

CONVERSATION

KNOW IS ABOUT DISCUSS SEE ABSTRACT WARM OUT TAUGHT DIFFERENCE EYES DOESN'T KNEW INSTANCE SNOW TELL ICE

FORMED

UNDER COOLER

AM TAUGHT BEEN CHANGE SNOW YOURSELF GUESS SOMEWHERE MUCH FACT CODES TO COMMUNICATE DO SLEET

CONSISTENT ABOUT DIFFERENT POSSIBLE THEM ASKING VERBALLY ORANGEY POINT

DOWN AWARE SEE POINTING LIGHTS COLORS WARM COOL ART PAINTING

SEE

Books/Articles

Read/Consulted

William Burroughs Interview, Paris Review: Writers at Work, 3rd Series

"The Uses of Observation: A Study of Correspondential Vision

in the Writings of

Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman." Christopher Collins; 1971 (Mouton)

6 6

Information Theory and Esthetic Perception, by

Cosmology

The

Abraham Moles, 1968

— Charon

Politics

of Experience

— R. D. Laing, 1967

Lolita— Nabokov

Artaud Anthology— Edited—Jack Hirschman, Second Edition, 1965

"A Vision," W.B.Yeats, 1937 "Performing Arts Journal/11 "Vol. IV/No. "I've Left: a

and

1979

Manifesto"— Bern Porter

Elements of Semiology, Roland Barthes, 1969

"Learning from Las Vegas"

— [Robert] Venturi

Principles of Genetic Epistemology—Jean Piaget,

1972

Our Lady of the Flowers—Jean Genet Ludwig Wittgenstein— Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus "Joseph Beuys: His Life and Works"

Antonin Artaud: Poet Without Words— Naomi Greene "Talking Poetics from Naropa Inst." Vols

The Hidden Order ofArt

— Anton Ehrenzweig

"Meaning and Control"— D. O. Edge and J. Wolfe Experience and Conceptual Activity—J. M. Burgers

Japanese Painting

Lady

Chatterley's

— Henry Bowie Lover— D. H. Lawrence P.

Dubliners—James Joyce Finnegans

Wfa^—James Joyce

Essaying Essays— Richard Kostalanetz

— Alfred Jarry — R. Barthes

The Super Male Mythologies

Ubu Roi— Alfred Jarry The Banquet Years— [Roger] Shattuck

6 7

1979 Special Projects Video Clones, video/dance performance with Molissa Fenley,

Organized group shows

Club 57,

New York City

1980

FEBRUARY

20, 1980: after the Baths in Semiotics class was the same and

Again

say

you want

all

Discourse."

to.

And I

feel just the

same

I'm not saying anything.

experienced

all

again. Waiting for an answer.

And we

these signs

sit

and

talk

And you

can

about Bardies' "Lover's

— condensed — last night and

guess always

was. Nothing has changed — the —and feel guilty about being tired of But hurt like hurts for everyone. Distance and no more hope. O.K., give up — go home. He doesn't want you — and wasn't just that — the right moves never happened. Uncomfortable pause and he gets up and walks away — but he was the only hope — so go home and don't care — and especially don't feel sorry for yourself— read Nietzsche, right? Rationalizations — mean just didn't do the right thing at the right time, but couldn't control that at the time — so said. So he gets up and leaves and I've done too — I've been on that side before. again.

And

same

thing.

it's

just the

But I'm

way you always knew

it's still

tired

it.

fast, I

So why are you it's

not

still

me who

childish

— and

if I

talking.

You've been

feeling powerful.

can't even

in his

And

overcome

shoes just one more rejection but

sounds

this

pure adolescent babble

my own doubt — what can

—

overcome. This

time

silly is

not

6 9

little

thing.

crushed me. said.

it's

has been the only thing in

Sometimes I'm

We're not going

happening

else too. to

can say

since this

happened — this thing has

—

When?

said.

you

for

it's

more than

remember if—I'm not

sure he

will help

me and

rejection

— for you something — They can do this it is

compensate with rationalization or others

me — make me stronger, bigger.

can see inside of it and absorb

inside

can't

you, he said. So go away again and say to yourself that maybe

you because

tragedy at home. ger than

happy.

really

to help

I'm not just sad

me and

my head

A misunderstanding, he said. I am nauseous with chilled stunted exaltation,

it is

only me. But

it's

already saw the sadness

into myself so that

not only

me — it's

has

become

always again

big-

the

still

— the tragedy — the ultimate failure of the spirit. He said soul. said I'm going home. And how can this boy from the baths make me be in this place — and he hadn't got up and walked away would you be better and didn't you cause to happen — didn't you same

wound

the

inflict

yourself? Sometimes

—

in the baths

myself— and

guess that's good again.

feel really

stupid and sometimes

know

you turned me inside out again and exposed myself— to

But you boy

FIRST "REAL" GROUP SHOW IN NEW YORK CITY ... SALSA 'N' COLORS FEBRUARY 2 8-MARCH 9, 19 I

showed

painting

a large red-black

show

Suffolk Street

MARCH

This guy

18,

them,

all

in front

of him

crazy.

group

— 107

longer

This guy

in the

subway

Gorgeous.

just stand there

and say "gorgeous"

phone so I can stand

— pretty — pretty — pretty boys. And

little

room

there near

just look

have an incredible imagination.

of them, tonight alone in

with his legs

in the

and

him

know

at.

myself over little

it's just

longer, as

bad

can have these boys, any of

dark—just my imagination — dark

and gorgeous bodies, penetrating gaze. To quote from an essay by Jean

read recently, "Eager thick penis rising from a bed of black curls." So writing

out. Writing

out of myself— stop thinking about

and

take this energy into another form.

This energy, sexual energy, may be the single strongest impulse

sitting

— on purpose. Glancing at me and just enjoying being looked

find a reason to use the

only look and

eyes, dark hair

Genet

15, 1979, in this

on the Lower East Side

1980

beautiful boys drive

in the cafeteria.

little

because

done January

— in the gymnasium.

and over again. just a

9' x 9'

called "Salsa 'n' Colors" at a Spanish school

These fucking wide open

on white painting

feel

— more than art?(!)

APRIL I

14,

missed Cosmology

thought about

"God

completely forgot.

whole day

till I

never

saw Kenny and he

said,

is light."

APRIL The

the

8 class.

1980: SEMIOTICS

2 5,

question of whether or not there should be any texts or

grammar itself a

moral issues or make us define our values,

to raise

Have

and

the aspirations of the futurists

(the social upheaval of values of society art)

been realized?

21,

1980:

of abstract

JUNE •

moral question.

by the introduction

NEW YORK CITY

"People are afraid of being pop, but

simple."

— Tony

constructivists

it's

not easy to be

Shafrazi (in reference to B. Beckley's alter-

ation of photograph in piece) •

saw Lethalithic show on Church

•

idea about criticism taking "art" out of the realm of experience and turning

St. it

into

a literary practice •

from idea that someone should be writing about Club 57 right now but not show-

ing others because writing "about" •

and

writing would/could

becomes "input into"

become an

influence

its

activities/participation, etc. as with

•

talking about

•

still

enough

JULY

something

2 6,

Club and

the

media, journalism,

substantially alter

etc.

changing or making that thing

respect for Kenny's paintings.

be interesting

They

are rich in experience, but also

realm of language, history,

still

new

etc.

1980—

After "Acts of Live Art III" Finally understanding the conflict

between the piece

"visual" domination of the other work.

presented and the generally

understanding of a

totally "visually

oriented"

program with the exception of my "language-based" presentation.

7 1

Context

(as

was) remains determinant of criticism comparison: immediate

re-

sponse.

Maybe becomes said)

and

the "language-based presentation" (re:

part of other attention center I

(memory)

calculable

specific

Hugo

understanding

Ball:

of.

pieces

"Man

of.

The

life

tion occurs: again. "Painting

of the

artist as a

thinks of himself as beautiful

tion to deal with miserableness of self."

juxtapo (he

remembered.

Reading Gide, Lautreamont, Solanis: information recurring of Diaries of

information)

recall: associations fixed:

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; however

Mankind thought

a disease or a curse"

as eternal mutation: deviation: aborted female.

sition,

she said.

shot

Andy Warhol, she

said.

it is

self as artwork. itself.

See:

Greek

simply a rationaliza-

as source/bit

maybe

virus situa-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Frank Holliday. Valerie Solanis sees

"man"

They

work of art

Male

spirit

seen as weak, in oppo-

1980 Special Projects Began drawing on blank advertising panels

New York City subway stations

Group Exhibitions New York City New York City Studio Exhibition at P.S. 122, New York City Events: Fashion Moda, The New Museum, New York City Club 57 Invitational,

Times Square Show,

1981 O n e - M a n Exhibitions Westbeth Painters Space, New York City P.S. 122, New York City Club 57, New York City Hal Bromm Gallery, New York City

Group Exhibitions Drawing Show, The Mudd Club, New York City

7 3

New

York/New Wave, P.S.I, Long Island

City,

New York

Lisson Gallery, London, U.K.

New York City New York City Annina Nosei Gallery, New York City Brooke Alexander Gallery,

Tony

Shafrazi Gallery,

Patrick Verelst Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium

Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson,

7 4

New York

1982

R C

H 18, 19 8

Painting has

double advantage

^m^

n\V'//./

s^<\

over the language of words. First, conjures

painting

greater strength

opens

with

them. Second, painting

closer to

the inner dance of the

painter's

objects

and comes much

mind

a larger

door

to the

outside.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Jean Dubuffet "Anticultural Positions"

December

Being born in 1958, the

first

20, 1951

generation of the Space Age, born into a world of television

technology and instant gratification, a child of the atomic age. Raised in America during the sixties

and learning about war from Life magazines on Vietnam. Watching

riots

7 5

warm

television in a

room comfortably

living

Things

believe in solutions.

are

have dreams of changing the world.

am in

and

the world

airplanes,

still

frighteningly similar to

think

life

human

same

[24th] birthday and

with chalk in Amsterdam

with similar

an airport

Rotterdam went

results). But,

rather be in America, even

In one year

Everyone says

my art has

it's

consumed and placed

and

would

mean

7 6

end

can do

can.

Drawing is

still

man and

the

of things have hap-

become

the situation

it is

that.

it is

keeping

anywhere

in the

that

funny, but

it is

make

show

some ways must be

Elvis.

feeling rather

Knowing

out of my hands.) is

this

at the Stedelijk fright-

go away once

have control of

they

over-hyped and

am now

in perspective.

really like.

always wanted or always dreamed

hard

to get

do admit

in the

world (and

It's

it is

the alternative? Elvis at the

my New

into a kind of limelight.

Things tend

However where I

it all

(And knowing when

was always the only thing)

back

Amsterdam. Drawing

know much about what

situation.

rather die than

into the world.

lot

probably should be keep-

Europe and propelled me

some ways

next.

especially Juan [Dubose].

into a "safe place" (history).

think the most important thing

and

Willem de Kooning's ugly new paintings

me what happens in the

be American. Everyone here seems as

mean, the

not sure where that dream came from, but I

learned from

brings together

also enjoyed

realize

does frighten me, but on the other hand: what

to that. I've spent is. I

in Brussels waiting for a flight

they don't

taken

kind of scary.

and

New York

miss

fine

made me

coming here made me even more glad

to death.

don't seem to be able to ever start to write. So today

sitting in

The show

ens me.

for as long as

have written anything down.

street

good.

live

Now I live in New York City, which I My contribution to the world is my ability to draw. I

have been unable to write them.

York.

am scared

1982, IN BRUSSELS AIRPORT

ing a daily diary, however

Looking

that responsibility

many people as I can

for as

pened. So many things that

then

and automobiles, human beings are

has been since prehistoric times.

has been a long time since

would

However,

through magic.

It lives

MAY

do not

and studying the world.

artists' lives

much as I can

basically the

world.

what

to this point trying to find out just

studying other

draw

satellites

have a responsibility to

the world.

don't

In 1982, with telephones and radio, computers

beings 2,000 years ago.

think

artist. I

believe to be the center of the world. will

do not have dreams of saving

world news and video tape,

was born an

am a human being.

and

white America.

safe in middle-class

beyond my control and beyond comprehension.

that

The one

of.

I'm

has started. it is

thing (and

what comes out of me

hard to control the thing

It is

once

come out and entered

has

the world. But only

can bring

things, but

when

they are here, they

Their

here.

doesn't want

and doesn't need these

these things

are

The world

the world.

importance

all

comes from what other people do with them.

add something

into a situation they to

put

If these things are

it.

Everybody things

adding

does

that

adding

these

and

to situations

to the world.

Therein

lies

kind of responsibility. That responseen differently by

sibility is

who make

ent people

world.

differ-

things in the

depends on the "idea of

Not

the world" that the person has.

everyone things

feels a responsibility to the

make can change

who make wars change

People

in the world.

That

world.

"doing"

seems

is (I

hope) humble and unassuming.

"idea of the world"

role in the world.

But

that

from expecting something from the

world

in the

other people

to stay in the

world

ago made things that are

always have done

who have always done

after

still

it is

done. People

in the world.

"do" something. The

that

it is

who drew

The world

Today is

enough

The

am 24

time.

me that I made

things that

have added

for

make

in caves

gets bigger

are a very small addition

years old. Twenty-four years

myself and

many I

things.

why I do

do and

and

it.

bigger. People like is

an even big-

compared

The world

thousands of years

to this.

not a very long time, and then again

things to the world.

see for myself.

make

a "real" thing to

Jesus Christ have added things to the world that also don't go away. That ger responsibility.

very simple. I

only do what

is. I

does not stop

ever understood or will ever understand what this thing

know

know from

if I

use "control" make things happen

keeps

the only thing to

who

fact,

But

seems

fool myself into thinking that these

a big effect in the world.

when

don't I

in the world. It only

what the world

do not

things. People

not

with a certain kind of doubt about

from participating

make

my interest at all. In of my place in the world

understanding

filled

world.

the world or even

this thing

around

The world will, however, go on without me

7 7

being there to see

it, it

just won't be

about the situation that

when

now.

"my" world

am making

then.

go away. But

maybe more

"real" things, situation

now,

now

maybe

what

these things, that they are

will stay here

when

guess).

that there

maybe

a funny feeling.

make them. That

The

sense

become

the only one

them these

things.

(

There

want

who makes

don't

want the world '

There that.

only think that

be the one

"things."

yS^~'^~^â&#x20AC;&#x201D;~\

can bring

depends how you see the

world. to

also a kind of hysteria in that,

but

are

The world

who

kind of freedom in

S(fT

make

waiting for the things and

kind of reason for making these things and the "things" in

always dreamed of

important than me.

The world

things that

also the situation

some

(&'

go. In the

a vehicle for these "things" I'm bringing into the world.

waiting to have them. At 24, that

"in" the world as soon as

away

would not know

not having things and making things and waiting for the world to have them. is

me most

interests

the world

am making

me, because they

"real" than

know,

things in the world that won't go

do. If this "success" had not happened, then

these things after

That

the

know what

to be.

But only

I I

can make these "things." These things that are called the works

of Keith Haring.

1982 One

Ma n

Exhibitions

Rotterdam Arts Council, Rotterdam, Holland

Tony

Shafrazi Gallery,

New York City, with LA II

Group Exhibitions Still

Modern After All These

Fast,

Museum, Norfolk, Virginia

Years, Chrysler

Alexander Milliken Gallery,

New York City New York City

Young Americans, Tony Shafrazi Gallery,

Larry Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles, California

Blum Helman

New York City

Gallery,

New Painting 1: Americans, Middendorf Lane Art of the

Wave

80's,

Hill,

New York

Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

The Agitated Figure, Hall Walls, Buffalo,

& Sculpture Today, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana

Richard Hines Gallery,

The Pressure

Documenta 82,

Seattle,

Washington

Paint, Marlborough Gallery, Kassel,

Kisses, Institute

Animal Imagery

New York City

Germany

The U.F.O. Show, Queens Museum,

Urban

New York

New York City

Holly Solomon Gallery,

Beast:

Washington, D.C.

Westport Weston Arts Council, Westport, Connecticut

Bronx,

Young Hoffman

Painting

Gallery,

New York

of Contemporary Art, London, U.K. in Recent Painting,

RS. 1 Long Island ,

City,

New York

7 9

Special Projects Spectacolor Billboard,

Times Square,

repeating every 20 minutes for one Installation, Paradise

and

distribute

Garage,

20,000

New

York

City, a

30-second animated drawing

month

New York City

free posters for June 12 anti-nuclear rally, Central Park,

New

York City Paint fluorescent mural

on cement handball

court,

Houston

Street at Bowery,

New York

City

Books & Catalogues Keith Having. Text: Robert Pincus-Witten, Jeffrey Deitch, David Shapiro (Tony Shafrazi Gallery,

New York)

Rotterdam Arts Council. Essay: Richard Flood

Marlborough

Gallery. Essay:

Diego Cortez

Appearances Press. Drawings: Keith Haring

Documenta

1983

MAY

3 1,

8 3

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from

catalogue " T e n d'e n c a s en Nueva York," organized by Carmen Giminez. Palacio de Velazquez. Par que del Re tiro Madrid Oct 1 1 -Dec 1 1983. i

Painting

nothing new. People have been drawing since the

Stone Age. In every culture people have attempted their

world as they see

and

feel

it.

to depict

Images have been drawn,

scratched, sprayed, carved, baked or painted in whatever materials were available to that culture at that particular time.

Man-made images have always been important and elements in

this ritual

shelters, tools, clothing,

and the land

itself.

monuments,

vessels, bodies, temples

and designated

its

It is

them

meaning and purpose. But they

one form or another.

and celebrating

necessary

They have adorned our

Different cultures have attributed to

g reater or Jesser value grees of

call "life."

them

different de-

are always there in

part of mankind's

way of reaffirming

existence.

In the last 100 years

we have seen

the invention of

telecommunications, radio, automobiles, television, space

travel,

computers, genetic science,

on and on. In altered.

same

change artist

The it

short,

and

our experience of life has been drastically

role of the

image maker cannot be seen

as the

The

rate of

was 100 years ago, or even 10 years ago.

accelerating at an increasingly rapid speed

has to change with

it.

Contemporary

artists

and the cannot

same

ignore the existence of media and technology and

at the

time cannot abandon ritual and popular culture.

The image

maker may be more important now than the history of

man

uniquely human.

for survival.

any other time in

because he possesses qualities that are

The human

imagination cannot be pro-

grammed by a computer. Our imagination

8 2

and

air

satellites, lasers,

our greatest hope

1983 On

Fun

M a n Exhibitions

Gallery,

New York City, with LA II LA II

Galerie Watari, Tokyo, Japan, with

Lucio Amelio Gallery, Naples,

Italy

Gallery 121, Antwerp, Belgium

Matrix

75,

Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut

Robert Fraser Gallery, London, U.K., with

Tony

Shafrazi Gallery,

LA II

New York City

Group Exhibitions Morton G. Neumann Family

Collection,

Kalamazoo

Institute

of Arts, Kalamazoo,

Michigan

New

York Painting Today, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Biennial 1983, Whitney

Museum of American Art, New York City

The Comic Art Show, Whitney

Museum

of American

Art,

Downtown

Branch,

New York City Back

to the

U.S.A.,

Tendencias en

Kunstmuseum, Lucerne, Switzerland

Nueva

York, Palacio Velazques,

Madrid, Spain

Bienal de Sao Paulo, Brazil Terrae Motus, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Massachusetts Post-Graffiti Artists, Sidney Janis Gallery,

New York City

Currents, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with

LA II

n 3

Special Projects Artist-in-residence,

Montreux Jazz

Festival,

Switzerland

Fabric design for Vivienne Westwood, London, U.K.

Computer graphics album cover Paint Fiorucci, Milan,

Italy,

with

for

New

York City Peech Boys

LA II

Paint choreographer Bill T. Jones,

London, U.K., photographed by Tweng Kwong Chi

Paint murals, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Paint building in Tokyo, Japan, with Paint mural

on Avenue D,

LA II

New York City

Books & Catalogues Champions. Essays: Tony Shafrazi Tendencias en

Nueva

York

Back

U.S.A.

Text:

the

Rheinland-Verlag)

8 4

Klaus

Honnef (Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn, und

1984

JUNE

This drawing something while.

19 84

13,

The

first

did in Milano.

had been thinking about

reconciliation of the

stomach. Pure

intellect

head and the

without feelings

impotent and even potentially dangerous the

computer

to control).

in the

hands of those who wish

intellect is pointless

and usually boring. The

spirit/etc. etc.) is

and

power who wish only

mentality of people

and

irrational/mind

compounded by

power of technology and

those in

(the recon-

of intellect and feelings/brain and

heart/rational

ing

(i.e.,

Expressionism (stomach) without

problem facing modern man now ciliation

was

for a

who

its

the increas-

misuse by

to control.

The

are motivated

8 5

profits at the

expense of human needs

They

pletely rational.

(telephone, bank,

Money

the opposite of magic. Art

new ways. Magic must

"Keith Ha ring

works exhibited working

magic.

of Europe. it

When

country and produce

over the world.

you are

in a richer,

weeks

three

visit a

available in that country. all

visiting a

art

on location

the pasta,

particularly fond of

more authentic way. This was

little Italian, I

began by

found

show

visiting a

workshop on

was big enough

for

made

lifestyle

of the

am accustomed

sizes

Italy.

In the last three

stand inside

of.

much

you experi-

tourist,

gallery.

During the

Even though

The combination

a perfect place to

There were

of the people,

work.

where they produce

terra-

and shapes and began the next day

and then embellish the surface with marking

utilizing the materials

friends. In restaurants, paint

the outskirts of Milano

chose several vases of different

systematically sand, wash,

these

all

produced

particularly true in Milano.

made many

easy to communicate.

and the easy going romantic

cotta pieces.

has to

have worked in Japan, Australia, Brazil, and

shops, carpentry shops, pizza shops, clubs, and of course the

spoke very

country to work, instead of as a

spent working on this

of art

art

always triumph.

as well as an installation at the Venice Biennale.

have been

The worlds

mixture the magic in

Mil a no"

way; to

in this

and resources years

ence

this

spent three weeks in Italy in June of 1984. During that time

com-

are

save time and money, they can keep records of every transaction

etc.).

and money are constantly intermingling. To survive be applied in

Computers

perfect for the computer.

ink.

The

several small vases

largest

which

attracted to because of their similarity to the shape of nuclear cooling towers.

The

was

con-

and the contemporary approach of draw-

frontation between the history of vase painting

ing with marker and the mixture of contemporary and ancient symbols produces an ironic

mixture of opposites. This irony

L.A.

L.A. 2

New

York

City.

tions since 1982. as the

even more apparent in the plaster sculptures

short for Little Angel

Two,

a graffiti-writer from the

His "signature"

Western World has gotten

saw every day on the

ate

a typically

to a stylized

streets

New

rest

of the

graffiti

installa-

feel is as

Eastern calligraphy.

writers

whose works

We began combining our two styles to cre-

lines. All

of the work

and usually covers and transforms an object

1983 was

York version of what

form of writing similar

of New York City.

an overall surface of intermingling

face"

did with

have been collaborating with him on sculptures, paintings, and

His particular "tag" or signature stood out from the I

Lower East Side

it is

to spray-paint the entire Fiorucci store.

we have done

applied

to.

We painted

Our

about "sur-

first visit to

in 13 hours.

Milano

Salvatore [Ala.] flew Angel to Milano from ter sculptures.

and

again

New York specifically

to paint these plas-

We bought the sculptures in Torino, painted them Day-Glo, and then L.A.

covered them with our "tags."

maybe he

will.

only wish Michelangelo could see them, but then

While Angel was here we

also collaborated

few vases and one

large totem.

The

totems and other

to travel to

wood wall pieces were done

They

large sheets of wood. I

wood

New

similar to a drill except that

went

The

the

York and carved

through the wood.

(i.e.,

requires different

amounts of time, concentration, and

ingly consistent.

used

The

tool

and

requires two hands

One

of the things that

the varieties

Each

carving, painting, drawing).

effort,

drawings into the wood.

amount of different ways of making marks and

of experience to produce the same consistent line

and

quality

any pre-drawings or plans.

cuts a line instead of drilling.

great

It is

Pedano's shop and drew directly on

directly without

considerable amount of control to push continually interested in

shop.

then cut out the shapes and secured them in bases.

had brought with me from

These drawings, as always, are done is

Pedano's

another city in the world and work with local craftsmen.

speed of the workmanship was incredible.

tool

but the result remains amaz-

recent use of animation and computers pushes this idea one step

further.

The

paintings,

paintings were

which made up the main body of the show, were my

some of my

first

works with

acrylic paint

begin painting with acrylic because of the wide range of color previous works on vinyl. thing, if I

wanted

than canvas.

because

to. I

had

think

also just

wanted

prove that

These

chose to

had been ignoring I

could paint, or do any-

chose muslin because the surface was smoother and more delicate

friend, Daniela, bring

was impossible

them was done on

release.

a stretched muslin.

to find

them

Day-Glo

in Italy.

stage during a live

acrylics with her

from

New

York

had fun doing these paintings. One of

show

called "Mister Fantasy,"

where

was

awarded an "Oscar" along with David Byrne and others.

Many times when I am working in ronment of

that city. In

directly into the work.

Milano

another city

discovered

club in Europe. Nicola [Guiducci] plays in the gallery

was

food and assistance to work going out

ideas

and images

that

went

my hands went to Plastic to unwind. Plastic is my favorite music that made me feel like I was in New York.

really great

my own

2:00 in the morning to find

ther Pizza bringing

am inspired by the culture and envi-

stayed in the gallery until late every night painting until

hurt from holding the brush, and then

Working

many new

because

frantic pace.

me cold

was always supplied with enough

have fond memories of Salvatore

Coca-Colas, and the

me endless amounts of my favorite

man from Pink Pan-

Milanese pizza with plenty of garlic.

8 7

Another great thing about the show was the opening. The Day-Glo

was

also plastered

people

who

all

attended. There was an incredible cake which was an exact reproduction of

the exhibition postcard. Lots of people came, lots of fun

and

art lovers,

what

it is I

young people, fashion people,

and even the mayor of Milano.

suppose people reading

this

trying to say, but

expect

really prefer if the

my work and

about

to write

work speaks

for a simple

answer

to their questions will

any given point in

for a society at

perception of the world be." If an artist

really

him and imposes

his

probably be disappointed. history.

His language

ego as

little

only

know

now

that I'm living

increasingly rapid rate.

all

in the

moving

back out into the world. to

met

travel

New

through

York.

Italy.

nized a similar official

show

who

the

at the

to take

Europe.

Francesca.

The

her.

to bring these things

first

for a

museum

for the budget.

person from

Italy

a video exhibition to in

Florence with

Diego eventually orga-

made

remember

New

critics

who

friends with graffiti writers there.

Scharf,

Club 57 pioneers done

the best interview I've ever

ever met

York. She traveled

fre-

She was the performance

life

was with

conversation had gone into the world of the machine and technology and

tape recorder (machine)

new

with.

is.

She was one of the only

Ann Magnuson and Kenny

realized

etc.,

and

had stopped and refused

did one other interview after that, but

miss Francesca, but with

kinds of sources,

we can keep up

new ways

machine had changed our perception of the world,

conversation.

quently by herself to the Bronx and

art, to

I'm not

imagination, and put

grasped the whole sense of what was happening in

person

say,

New York City called "New York, New Wave," which was the first showcase the new New York scene. I met Francesca repeatedly in New

show

only

my own

through

In 1980 she tried to organize a

York and did several interviews with

how

all

1979 when she was curating

Diego Cortez. Repeatedly she was turned down

first

coming from

definition of what an "artist"

met her

artist is a

absorb information

perhaps, than

continually trying to find

expand the

looking

determined by his

these ideas?"

all

dedicated this show to Francesca Alinovi. Francesca was the

who

and

faster,

digest information from these sources, channel

into the world

no mystery there

20th century and

do. Information

sources every day. Technology

make

try to

the culture speak through

lets

as possible. If there

propaganda. People always ask me: "Where do you get sure,

He is a medium between "what is" and "what could

all live in.

honest to himself and his culture he

own

try to explain

for itself.

The person who

images that are universally "readable" and self-explanatory.

spokesman

which

poster,

over Milano and Venice, was given out for free to the hundreds of

after

looking

to record

never replaced that

especially missed her in Italy, because

down

our entire first

one.

know she would have been

show. So, the book and show are dedicated to her memory.

OCTOBER I

3 0,

198

think the greatest feature of a lot of the images

and they can have

different

seems

and

have

less

meanings

but in earlier civilizations symbols were

less patience for,

A lot of times

the images are simply

comes out of my imagination without is

in a state of mind

born out of the need

a performance

and

Modern man

trying to

some

to get

much

make

do something

you

different.

idea across. But often

mean anything

specific.

which allows spontaneity and chance while

ing a level of awareness which allows is

man

something that

versatile.

Sometimes they come from consciously wanting

lenge

that they're not completely explainable

for different people. That's

still

The

just

chal-

maintain-

shape and control the image. Every drawing

a ritual.

consuming information

an increasingly rapid

rate.

A modern artist

has to produce images quickly and efficiently enough to keep up with our changing world. However, the elements of chance, and magic, and spirit cannot be sacrificed in this quest.

The freedom

of the

artist is

symbolic of the

human

spirit in all

mankind.

8 9

1984 On

Man

University

Exhibitions Museum of Iowa City, Iowa

Maenz

Paul

Gallery, Cologne,

Salvatore Ala Gallery, Milan,

Semaphore

Italy,

with

LA II

New York City

Paradise Garage, Galerie Corinne

Germany

Hummel,

East,

Basel, Switzerland

New York City, with Tseng Kwong Chi

Group Exhibitions Robert Fraser Gallery, London, U.K. Biennial III

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Human

Condition, San Francisco

Museum

Modern

Art,

San

Francisco, California

Aldrich

Museum,

Ridgefield, Connecticut

New York, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal, Canada New Gallery of Contemporary Art, Cleveland, Ohio Via

Arte di Frontiera, Galeria di Arte Moderna, Bologna, Italy

Aperto 84, Venice Biennale, Venice, Content, Hirshhorn

Italy

Museum, Washington, D.C.

Disarming Images: Art for Nuclear Disarmament â&#x20AC;&#x201D; show

traveled throughout United

States

Tony

Shafrazi Gallery,

Musee

d'Art

New York City

Moderne de

New Attitudes:Paris/New

la Ville

Paris, Paris,

York, Pittsburgh

France

Center

for the Arts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Special Projects Paint mural at National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia Paint mural at Collingwood Technical School, Melbourne, Australia

Paint mural at Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Horn Elementary School, Iowa

Artist-in-residence, Ernest

The Kutztown Connection, performances

to benefit the

City,

New

Iowa

Arts Program, Kutztown,

Pennsylvania

and mural, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis,

Children's FestaviUe, artist-in-residence

Minnesota Artist-in-residence, poster

Paint candy store murals,

Anti-Litterpig Campaign:

On-site painting,

and

sticker design,

Le Mans, France

New York City Create logo for New York City Department of Sanitation

Avenue D,

Museum

of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Paint fishermen's houses, Ilheus, Brazil

Dobbs Ferry, New York New York City, photographed by

Paint mural, Children's Village,

Body-paint Grace Jones,

Robert Mapplethorpe

Create 60-second animated commercial for Big, a store in Zurich, Switzerland

Design

set for Secret Pastures, Bill

Brooklyn Academy of Music,

New

York, choreographed

T Jones and Arnie Zane

Paint mural for Asphalt

Create First

Green Park, New York City

Day Cover and

limited edition lithograph to

stamp issue of 15 November commemorating 1985

accompany United Nations'

as International Youth Year

Books & Catalogues Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Text: Fidel Marquez; photographs: Tseng

The

Human

Condition. Text:

Henry Hopkins (San Francisco Museum of Modern

Miranda McClintic (Smithsonian

Institution,

Primitivism. Editor: William Rubin (The

New Art.

Editors: Phyllis Freeman, Eric

N. Abrams,

Kwong Chi Art).

Washington, D.C.)

Museum of Modern Art, New York)

Himmel, Edith Pavese, Anne Yarowsky (Harry

New York)

Untitled 84. Introduction: Robert Pincus-Witten; text and photos: Roland

(Pelham Press,

Hagenberg

New York)

Hip-Hop. Text: Steven Hager

(St.

Martin's Press,

Art in Transit. Introduction: Henry Geldzahler;

New York)

text:

Keith Haring; photographs: Tseng

Kwong Chi (Harmony Books, New York) Art at Work: The Chase Manhattan

Collection. Text: various authors (E.P.

Dutton, New York)

1985 O

n e

Ma n

Exhibitions

Schellmann 8c Kluser, Munich, Germany

New York City Leo Castelli Gallery, New York City

Tony

Shafrazi Gallery,

Museum of Contemporary Art, Bordeaux, France

Group Exhibitions New

York 85,

ARCA, Marseille, France

Of the Street, Aspen

Art

Museum, Aspen, Colorado

Rain Dance, 292 Lafayette

Street,

New York City New York

The Subway Show, Lehman College, Bronx,

La Biennale de Paris, Grand

Palais, Paris,

France

Homo Decorans, Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark Les Piliers de la Coupole, Galerie Beau Lezard, Paris, France

e C

rets

Organize and curate Rain Dance, a benefit party and exhibition for the U.S. Committee for

Design

9 2

UNICEF's African Emergency set for

Relief Fund

Sweet Saturday Night, Brooklyn Academy of Music,

New York

Paint set for The Marriage of Heaven

and

Hell,

choreographed by Roland

Petit, for the

de Marseille, France

Ballet National

Create cover illustration and centerfold for Scholastic Neivs, reaching an audience of three million

American schoolchildren, grades one through

Collaborative poster with Brooke Shields and Richard

Create 25' x 32' backdrop for permanent installation

six

Avedon

The Palladium,

New York City

Create mural and distribute free T-shirts and balloons for Keith Haring dren's Village,

Dobbs

Ferry,

Host painting workshop and

books

distribute free coloring

and

at Chil-

at the first Children's

Fair celebrating International Youth Year, Asphalt Green Park, Print

Day

New York World

New York City

20,000 Free South Africa posters

distribute

Create painting at Live Aid, July 13, J.F.K. Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to be auctioned, with proceeds donated to African Paint mural

on handball

court, P.S. 97,

Famine Relief

New York City

Body-paint Grace Jones for performance

Paradise Garage,

New York City

Paint St. Patrick's Daycare Center, San Francisco, California

Design four watches

for

Swatch Watch U.S.A.

Children's drawing workshop,

Museum

of Contemporary Art, Bordeaux, France

Books & Catalogues Beyond

the Canvas. Introduction:

Leo

Castelli; text

(Rizzoli International Publications,

America. Text and photos:

and photos: Gian Franco Gorgoni

New York)

Andy Warhol (Harper

& Row Publishers, New York)

Notes from the Pop Underground. Editor: Peter Belsito (The Last

Gasp of San Francisco,

Berkeley, California)

Keith Haring: Peintures, Sculptures Sylvie

New

Dessins. Text: Jean-Louis Froment, Brion Gysin,

Couderc (Musee dArt Contemporain de Bordeaux, France)

York 85. Text:

Roger

dArt Contemporain,

Pailhas, Jean-Louis Marcos, Marcellin Pleynet

(ARC A

Centre

Marseille, France)

9 3

Sculpture installation. Riverside Park,

New

York,

19H7

1986

APRIL 19 8 6 I

think public sculpture should aggressively alter our perception of the environment in a

positive way. People love to interact with sculptures

moving. For me, the most entertainment. sage) should

effective public sculpture

think public art (unless there

make people

feel

The

25,

anything

and physical

a specific political or ideological mes-

... a

kind of "adult-scale" playground.

that there

no reason

to paint.

pretend that I've never seen anything, never read anything, never heard

and then make something.

Every time every time

touching and

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; N EW YORK CITY

9 8 6

best reason to paint I'd like to

sitting,

as visual

comfortable, and brighten their environment. These

sculptures were designed to be played

JUNE

by climbing,

would function

make something

see something

Nothing

important

think about the people

think about the person

... so,

everything

who

who made

are going to see

and

it.

important.

9 5

JULY It

MONTREUX

8 6:

has been such a long time since

pened

last tried to

down

write

has been moving so quickly that the only record

anything about what has hap-

my life.

happening) in

(is

magazines from the various

trips

airplane tickets

and exhibitions. Someday

and

suppose these

articles in

will consti-

my biography.

tute

only

It is

ized that

whom

now

that

importance of a biography.

realize the

enjoy to read (and have learned

admire.

It is

my main

probably

"career" (what an awful word)

many

do,"

seem so pretentious,

always have real-

who

a teacher

thought the things

my was

when

read those things

for almost everything

wrote about "wanting

later,

wrote to

actually did in the four or five years that followed.

Now 1980

didn't

mean

source of education. In the beginning of

was misled by

writing to be pretentious and self-important. Years in 1978,

things from) the biographies of artists

regret that

didn't continue to write constantly. Especially in the years from

1985 when so many things happened

so quickly that

became one big

"rise to success," as

When

blur.

sarcastically called,

it is

that

changed

my life, and

things

happened

dissected and put in a logical order, the

not as astonishing or "overnight" as

may

appear.

The

"social responsibility"

acceptance of my LINE tion to "primitive"

art

"Art," after

all, is

something that

far

is at

my work

found

in the

the key to understanding

itself.

The

The connec-

how and why

quite natural in an age that finds itself technoso-called "primitive" cultures.

the very basis of human existence. to

LINE

acceptance as a public figure.

removed from these

and connect ourselves

our environment (world)

The need

to sep-

primary need of all

beings.

Art becomes the way it, I

admit.

The

things (rocks, trees, necessarily

power

find in

hate that word) culture

and ideologically very

arate ourselves

air to

became completely acceptable and

logically

human

that

responsible for

evil.

define our existence as

very idea that

air,

water)

is, I

human

think, a great misconception, but

We know that "humans" determine the

to destroy

and

create.

destruction of the Earth

no matter how "natural"

this

We,

beings. This has a perverse

are so different from other beings (animals)

after all is said

inhabit.

matter

de-composition

and done,

how

is,

understood

future of this planet.

and not

have the

are the perpetrators of the

slowly this destruction

occurring,

are the harborers of this change.

We are not completely evil, however. There is a kind of excuse we conjure up for our We are human and we "understand" beauty. Jean Dubuffet delivered a

destruction.

speech

the Art Institute of Chicago that clearly explains the misconception of beauty

embraced by the Western Culture. This speech, which

discovered in 1977 in

Pitts-

burgh,

have read and re-read, and

This

artist.

one

it is

by another

favorite things written

and Robert Henri's The Art Spirit are the

text

literary references

philosophy.

many

I've read

other things and

Theory" and Eco's "Semiotics,"

etc.)

many

informative texts

(i.e.,

Nole's "Information

but few have had such a simple, profound effect as

these works by Dubuffet and Henri. Both were written decades before me, but each

evant to contemporary art and,

Some

presume,

will

things don't change. Everything goes in circles

nature. People are the

tence that

same

common

(or similar)

cultures

all

and

repetition

over the world. Religion

all

and

is rel-

be relevant forever.

a law of

response to exis-

peoples everywhere. People aspire to

all

"believe" in something. People need this "belief" to explain and justify their existence.

The

to the idea

of "different" cultures and different "nationalistic values."

denominator

same

runs through

true of art

all

time,

all

and

importance of being

night and saw

cleared of having Life

to the

this line.

alive.

am writing is

common denominator

It is

fear of death.

When I was watching the

AIDS, but when

Living in

that

friend Martin [Burgoyne],

so fragile.

There

culture, obviously.

keep thinking that the main reason

ize the

bility

The common

comes down

it all

peoples.

LATER THE SAME EVENING I

Whether voodoo or Buddhism

always the same.

thing, really.

The same

looked

a very fine line

saw death.

him

between

New York City and also

flying

think

finally real-

4th ofjuly fireworks the other

says he has

been tested and

saw death. life

and death.

realize

on airplanes so much,

walking

face the possi-

of death every day.

And when is

because people are committed

different facets (or faces) of religion are different only

die there

even vaguely similar

pose that everyone

is is

the world

nobody

style

to take

my place. There is nobody working now who

or attitude or principles.

mean

true of a lot of people (or everyone) because everyone

that seriously. is

important in that they cannot be replaced. But, right now, there

who

can be put into a group with

me and

called a

sup-

an individual and is

nobody

movement.

My movement consists of only one person. There are several people whose work has similarities to certain aspects or features

Even Andy Warhol, who

of what

am doing, but nobody has

am often compared

to, is in fact a very,

all

of them.

very different kind

of artist.

Andy

has been a big influence as an example of both what to be and what not to be.

have learned a

lot

of things from

Andy about how

to deal

with people and

how

to deal

with "the public" and the public's "image" of me.

9 7

Nothing note.

ever taught as a lesson, but by watching (observing) and quietly taking

have spent a

have learned

of time with

lot

my whole life have

know exactly what I want

don't really

think part of the reason

know

that there are always

I feel I

listening.

but

know what I

many

love to be a teacher because

projects with children of

experiences.

When

Brooklyn.

was the most

was 211 spent fulfilling

happier than making a child smile. signature

that

the purest

it is

color-blind and

will

still

free

them through

instilled in

all

life

all

ages.

summer

The

life.

most important and

There

would

children.

Many

This

who touched my that

art that are

letters

know

don't

some

level

that

life

way

as close as

from children

if it is

all

thinking

all

when I

think that

want

funny face or

artist that I

the

always have had

in every country.

testify to this

that to

there

life

and

connection.

is is

very impor-

any "mean-

forgotten. Children possess a fasci-

very special and would be very helpful to it.

on the outside and nearly 12 years old on

12 years old on the inside.

simple nature that provokes laughter and

they could learn to understand and respect

to stay

real. If

would be

know of.

know something that most people have

years old

childhood.

an idea of religion.

visited.

life at all.

am now 28

and every person.

ing" to

are

over the world with different

understand the reason for living and meaning of "life,"

adults

say there are aspects of my

over the world that

nation with their everyday existence that

9 ÂŤ

tant to

Children

logo or

that will slowly

through

can get

sympathy between me and them. But we share something

very lasting and very

have

during every exhibition

not duplicated by any other

have

could do.

book one day with photos of me

one of the things

day-care center in

nothing that makes

and hatred

the complications, greed,

pictures like this exist from every place

contact with children on

and

are. I

and most joyous form. Children

in its simplest

lives in a positive

love children

life.

useful thing

love to

that

in a kind of

important they

at a

Belief in one's self is only a mirror of belief in other people I

you

fondest memories are of these

have that kind of effect on any children,

Touching people's

reason that the "baby" has become

never forget some of the adults

possible for

positive experience of human existence.

Sometimes very brief encounters have made an impact it is

how

teaching "Art"

summer of my

and most

Children are the bearers of

of the lessons

don't want to be.

people that look up

think that not enough people respect children or understand

have done

Many

don't want to do or be.

have a "responsibility" as a public figure

would

to be,

people watching

way, especially young people. I

Andy watching and

been about what

the inside.

always

think

who

very important to be

it is

in love with

have met people

life. I

and 80s who

are in their 70s

love

life

much

behind

that,

their

aged bodies, the numbers disappear. very fragile and always elu-

Life

sive.

As soon

stand," there

think

we "under-

another mystery.

don't understand anything. I

That

is,

think, the key to understand every-

thing.

me how

People keep asking "success" has changed me.

always

say that success has changed peo-

and

responses

ple's

toward

me and

affected

me, but

changed me. inside

now

was

happy then

has not really

same on the

feel the

behavior

change has

that

did ten years ago.

Happiness

cannot

now.

mea-

sured in accomplishments or mate-

Happiness

gain.

rial

inside.

Success

to affect

has

in a negative

than a positive way, however,

not submit to as

was

this.

before.

the

done much

still

way will

as satisfied

have

shortcomings and many victories. think

nobody can be happy

Collaborating on mural with Philadelphia CityKids,

many

all

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

the time.

It is

very strange to

"success" to equal happiness, even after they have seen die

1987

all

their

that people expect

media

stars suffer

and

and hurt themselves.

Money with.

It is

guilt (if

doesn't

much

anything.

easier to live with

you have any conscience

money breeds "good"

mean

if it is

evil.

Money

think

no money than

at all).

itself is

money

not

And

the hardest thing for

to live

with money.

to deal

Money breeds

you don't have any conscience, then

evil, in fact

can actually be very effective for

used properly and not taken seriously.

9 9

You have to use

be objective about money

it fairly. It

useful than any

other person. Even

money

that doesn't

...

somebody who

better than

money but

has no

you use your

people

to help

make you

make you any

doesn't

better or any

sympathetic and

genuinely loving to fellow humans.

Usually the people

most generous

as a

who

have first-

newspaper

was 12 years

came from

old.

carrier

The

surprised by

this,

but

on the

people

They

don't expect anything in return.

sake of making one feel better about oneself

Anonymous I

gifts are

the

certainly very far

hard

as a

New

to beggars are

have

very

little

quite natural. Charity for the

not really charity.

from perfect, and

don't want to sound like a saint. Everyone is

and everyone has the poten-

selfish

evil.

Good and is

learned

most honest and admirable.

has shortcomings. Everyone has a side of them that tial

It is

who

was

streets of

York who give money

themselves.

when

biggest tips

the poorest people.

lesson. People

often

are the

learned this

are people

the least to give.

hand

who

Evil are very

to isolate.

hard

to explain or

Good and evil are

understand. I'm sure that

evil exists,

intertwined and impossible to separate.

but

They are

not

completely opposites and in fact are often one and the same.

JULY

8 6:

MONTREUX, SUISSE

I'm reading Timothy Leary's autobiography, Flashbacks, which he gave visit to

me on

a recent

Los Angeles.

Timmy

New

few weeks ago

had dinner with

puters, drawings, etc.

might be doing some drawings

York and we talked about com-

for a

new computer program he

developing.

He was commenting on how my ers

because the drawing

line

drawings were perfect for translation into comput-

was already very close

to the idea

of "pixels" (the dots, or

squares, that comprise a computer-generated image).

computers

Tokyo

1983 and even

main problem with the computer

trapped inside

this

box (on

earlier is

have already,

a video-text

explained, used

machine

NYU in

the restriction of the image, in that

a screen) and, except in the printing,

1980. always

it is

very limited in

its

scale.

was, however, interested in the

ent is

a computer.

used

solved by the "drawer." its

restricted only

that

me it is

It is, I

and

true that

its

be investigated

Tim

a privilege to have

effectively.

computer

in this area.

my friends I

This

capacities),

line closer to a

this "line" I utilize.

expresssed interest in

understand

this

think

line.

and ask each

to write a

line.

met these people and have had the opportunity

work.

in turn,

CANT

of the "Statue of Liberty" painting

little

both archaic and

interesting to hear Bill Bur-

wish

with

to talk

my work and now

acknowledge

have

their contribution

and

TELL), 1986: to I

Tokyo. There

went there

will

did in

hang on the "Castle"

unsettling because of the

way

New

one more stop

via train

Alps and spent the night there. There was a press conference

was a

a very "real" line.

would be

the airport in Milano this morning.

June which

carved line than a drawn

(writers, scholars, etc.)

am sitting on an airplane in Delhi, on my way

will

my contribution as well.

JULY 15 OR 16 DELHI, INDIA I left

Maybe Timmy

which

line,

them. Especially since each had important influences on

Kong.

workable entity

Leary, Allen Ginsberg, Pierre Alechinsky, Robert Farris

Thompson, etc., speak of this

possess (because of the deductive, composite nature of my

Gysin wrote, a

roughs, Brion Gysin,

try to

to return to this investigation.

to write to several of

paragraph about

It is

itself.

futuristic (with

as Brion

want

"mouse"

then has the added ability to take the image and

use computers very

line) the ability to

universal

when

new problem

and placement. The image becomes

are endless possibilities to

know

very differ-

by the limitations of the computer program, programmer, and the

able to convince I

The drawer

color, size,

screen of the monitor

There

experience of drawing, which

spatial displacement) occurs

This displacement of image and action creates

to draw.

manipulate

tactile

Time-lapse (and/or

Hong

through the Swiss

announce the unveiling

York City with 1,000 high-school kids

in the center of Milano.

the presentation

"sponsorship" for the City Kids Coalition. This was

all

This press conference

was made out of

to explain

and

hands, since

solicit I

can't

Statue of Liberty Mural.

speak ever,

Italian

New

and I'm not

becomes

directly involved with the business aspect of this project.

a reflection

The business

on me, so

It is

a difficult area:

who

will benefit

from

and

was a

it,

worthy causes

and

interest in the project

to participate or not

in this case, ultimately,

1,000 students and the people

who

ulti-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; can be misconstrued and appear exploitative.

think

it is

positive interaction with will see the painting.

think the project itself was

much

and the people this case

Burger

weighed against the exploita-

worth

and

have the project exist lasting effect

Even though there

being manipulated or exploited by the commercial sponsors.

cism but, again,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that are to benefit,

not to help promote the financial supporters (in

have had the experience of a

How-

bit uneasy.

involved because of

King or Benetton). But the decision

aspect of sponsorship for projects of this kind

mately, City Kids or other

tive side effects

1986

York City.

realize

on these a risk of

will receive criti-

too important to worry about a

little

criticism.

all

things:

Time will

This same issue comes up

clarify the events that are presently unclear. in

any

critical

consideration of my

work and work

ethic in

general.

mine

sure that in time

he understood

will

have been a very

clear, selec-

hopefully intelligent, politically sound, humanistic and imaginative approach to the

tive,

"role" of Contemporary Artists.

The

press conference was also a

good excuse

to see a lot

of friends in Milano

who

haven't seen in a while. Daniela Morera, Nally Bellati, Lisa Ponte of Domus, etc.

And

Nicola Guiducci,

who kept me

out

till

4:30 in the morning drinking champagne

and doing coke.

Then

I left

for

Roma.

class ticket to first-class

notebook.

in her

port.

and

was changing

for the

on my way

was tempted

her about

to ask

and then

premiere of "Vamp" (the movie to

Tokyo.

The

cidental" meeting reassures

prepaid economy-

noticed the lady in front of me had a Grace Jones photo

saw she had Grace's pass-

got to see Grace for 15 crazy minutes in the airport, she

York City

In the airport there

when

series of events

that

still

on her way

New

painted her for a striptease scene in)

and accidents

that led

in tune with the universe

to the "coin-

and

traveling

the right path.

My this

"chance" and destiny has led

right so

far,

remarkable "coincidence" happen, I'm reassured that I'm I

his

belief in

want

to take a

break

now

to write a letter to

Timothy

autobiography somewhere over northern India

my life

and whenever things

still

Leary.

on I

target.

just finished reading

600 miles per hour.

has changed

again.

Delhi, India

July 15 or 16, 1986

Timothy I'm writing to you on an airplane refueling in Delhi en route to Tokyo.

just finished reading Flashbacks in the air

over northern India traveling at 600

29,000

feet.

now

began reading

that I've read

it, is

mean,

an altitude of

was born

Montreux, Switzerland,

also appropriate.

of the complexity and length of your I

Rather appropriate, no?

Funny, but

which,

MPH

story. It

1958, so while

had no idea

changed

my life.

was growing up

was

only aware of the events of the early Sixties through a strange

mixture of sources

parents.

filtered

through the protective guard of

got most of my information through television,

Life magazine pictorial essays

and some associations with

enlightened relatives.

however, and

was very absorbed and

interested,

when my

personality

think affected at a time

and ideology were

most "affectable" or impression-

in their

able stages.

Quite honestly,

have never before read anything you

have written, but had a kind of "blind respect" from the

and pieces of things

was very overwhelmed by the book and

make

contact.

you without the

bits

knew about you.

felt

compelled

can't wait to have a long conversation with

distraction of the "party" settings

we have met

in so far.

too

It is

things

want

ment and making

go into

to share

in a letter,

with you about

but

have a

lot

personal develop-

happening while you were

history.

that

sudden (now) some things became

was

similar to

my introduction

Burroughs and Brion Gysin existed in

my head as

form by seeing

one

now

self-discovery that were

All of a

way

much

ideas

in 1978.

in the

me in a

work of William

mean,

that things that

my own were given

thought to be

embodiment

their

clear to

to the

life

and work of some-

else. It is

hard

to believe

berg, etc., in 1978.

Convention effect

at the

"accidentally" stumbled across the

Entermedia Theatre

was astounding

only discovered Burroughs, Gins-

Nova

N.Y.C. and the

me.

"accidental" meeting with

Pierre Alechinsky's

work and N.Y.C.

Andy Warhol and

graffiti

and Grace Jones

and you.

To name I

a few.

sent you, yesterday, from Montreux, two drawings hotel there.

were important felt

compelled

about

wanted

me and

to give

my work you

them

send them

did

you because they

being absorbed in Flashbacks

to you.

don't

know how much

know. I'm also sending a catalogue from

exhibition at the Stedelijk

you probably haven't seen.

after

Museum (Amsterdam), which

The drawing of Grace at ing of Grace.

Paradise Garage

my first draw-

have drawn "on" Grace but never drawn her.

The drawing is from

photo you

will see in the Stedelijk cata-

logue that was taken during her perfornmance at Paradise

Garage (which

where

met you

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; while

discussed with

Grace the preparations for the performance).

don't

you know how important the "Paradise Garage"

me and

the tribe of people

spiritual experience

affected

who

there.

have shared

The "Garage"

is,

many

know

at least for

a collective

changed or

also

incredibly through various "re-imprinting"

life

experiences and transformations.

"discovered" the Garage by divine "accident," of course,

"discovered" the Grateful

There

LSD

much

too

experience

Dead

to explain to

did during the

put in writing:

first

15 and consequent trips in the fields sur-

rounding the small town where

The drawing

in 1975.

grew up

first trip

all of the work that followed and that

into an entire "aesthetic"

in Pennsylvania.

became

now

the seed for

has developed

view of the world (and system

of working).

The

effect that the

16-17-18, which made

"God" and

see

side myself

re-programming had on

new

find

friends, leave

life

Kutztown,

find myself (with complete confidence) in-

and believe

change and

in this idea of "chance,"

destiny.

While changing

was

in the airport this

from economy

ticket

"complications" was

morning

to first class

at a special ticketing

noticed the lady aside of

me had Grace

Roma

was

and because of

counter

when

Jones' passport in

front of her.

Grace was ing,

miere of "Vamp." for

Rome for a week taking a break from record-

and was about

to catch a

our planes, her

plane to

New

York

for the pre-

spent 15 crazy minutes waiting together

NY, me

Tokyo.

This incredible "coincidence" made again, in tune with the universe

aware that

and whatever "destiny"

was, col-

lides people's lives together

was

still

work and

"on

still

target."

with deepest admiration that

It is

write to you, and feel

with conviction that our meeting was another of these "coinci-

dences" that I

way

bear great

will

am now more

fruit.

excited and enthusiastic about finding a

work together on

computer program or

very least

some time "exchanging" and "exploding" some

sharing

ideas

together.

Thank you, and I look forward and Zack (and your horny dog)

to seeing

you and Barbara

my first convenience. (If not

sooner.)

Love, Keith

JULY I

2 6,

1986

sitting at the airport in

(Juan No. I

Milano waiting

for

Juan [Rivera]

Tokyo

arrived in

sent a drawing from

Tokyo

ceremony

last

week.

Tokyo

that

had made

hope

be buried with his body

that

at the

is safe. I

cremation

found out yesterday that the person the drawing had been sent

remember Brion

to the

had done,

drawing.

me, more than once, about how frightened he was about

telling

death for the simple reason that he pondered the possibility of having to repay for things he

York

trip.

learned that Brion Gysin had died.

had a mental breakdown. So who knows what happened I

New

2).

arrived back in Milano two days ago after the

When

from

to arrive

said, written

and painted

in his

life.

What

God

is,

all

the

after all, a

woman â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a very angry woman? I'm sure he's nately

much

at least

unacknowledged.

feel

Brion's writings and especially his paintings have helped

understand myself and

him and enjoyed

in a very

important way.

few years of his long

He was

difficult to

keep up with.

a legend.

kind of saint from

underworld (or other-world)?

understood

His paintings give

think a lot of people learned a lot of things from Brion. Unfortu-

my work

life.

lucky to have met

the

fine.

of his importance has gone unnoticed or

my work

(and

life) in

way

that only

he could, because he lived

it.

paintings historical precedent.

has been called the "grandfather of graffiti" because of his "writing paintings."

Crossing the gap between East and West, he turned calligraphy into a kind of surrealist writ-

From

ing.

years spent in

from the Surrealist

expulsion

his

group by Andre Breton

(for

Morocco and

being gay) to his

Paris he has

been an

"outsider." Usually written out of history instead

ofin.

Brion sometimes complained of

inside

this sort

conspiracy of un-acknowledgement, but

think

was the source of a kind of private per-

sonal satisfaction. Being popular, he knew, has

its

drawbacks. In a way, his purity and "otherness"

was preserved and almost exalted by being "the

outsider."

usual, time will

He and his con-

tell:

tributions will be respected for generations to

come. It

seemed

everything

come out on

that

Brion had done

top, but not

and somehow

everywhere)

(been

knowing which end

the

Brian Gysin and William

top was on. I

in a way, I

miss Brion, but

will

through

hope he

me and through

learned from him. If

portion of things he has,

Burroughs

lives on,

the things

could accomplish I

would be happy.

The Watch Story I

down

forgot to write

the

Timmy got a watch

Timothy Leary watch

as a present

sequently, during a trip to L.A., I

say timid beause she said she

wouldn't be mad.

la [sic]

visited their house, after a timid invitation

had something she wanted me

was curious.

Swatch with

story (or stories).

from his wife, Barbara, before he had met me. Con-

my figures

to see,

by Barbara.

but was hoping

turned out she had painted their dining room table

running around the top of the

table.

was

flattered

and

surprised, not angry.

Sometimes

this

kind of transformation

Like the "break-dancer" I

love seeing

graffiti I

saw

the

most

interesting thing for

Milano yesterday that

in the

to see.

manner of Haring.

drawings re-drawn by admirers and making the images become part of

the universally available

IMAGE BANK.

makes them become an undeniable

"fact."

The Second Watch Story Timmy

tells this

great story about a recent confrontation with

over-filled lecture hall in a conservative university.

ture because the over-capacity

crowd was

The

him

police at an

stop his lec-

When these students rejected Timmy had to talk to the police to

a "fire hazard."

the idea of ending the lecture, tension started building. try to find

some campus

police wanted

another solution, to find a way to continue the lecture and defuse the con-

frontation.

Timmy was

having a heated argument with the "captain" of the campus police

the policeman stopped in mid-sentence.

o n

and change the

He'd noticed Timmy's Keith Haring watch and

Timmy explains this as the "power" the watch had mood of "even" this angry cop.

exclaimed, "Oh, that's a great watch." to catch the attention

when

1986 On

M a n Exhibitions

Dag Hammarskjold Stedelijk

Plaza Sculpture Garden,

New York City

Museum, Amsterdam, Holland

Art in the Park, Whitney Galerie Daniel

Templon,

Museum of American Art, Stamford, Connecticut Paris,

France

Group Exhibitions Life in the Big City: Contemporary Artistic Responses to the

Urban Experience, Rhode

Island School of Design, Providence

An American

Renaissance: Painting and Sculpture Since 1940, Fort Lauderdale

Museum

of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Spectrum: The Generic Figure,

The Corcoran

Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Masterivorks on Paper, Galerie Barbara Farber, Amsterdam, Holland

American Art of the

Eighties,

Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona

Sacred Images in Secular Art, Whitney

Museum of American Art, New York City

Surrealismo, Barbara Braathen Gallery,

New York City

Gabrielle Biyars Gallery,

Linda

New York City

Ferris Gallery, Seattle,

Washington

Vienna Biennial, Vienna, Austria

Havana

Biennial, Havana,

Contemporary Arts Center, Television's

Cuba

New Orleans, Louisiana

Impact on Contemporary Art, Queens Museum,

Thomas Cohn

Gallery,

New York

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The First Decade, Freedman

Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Contemporary Screens: Function, Decoration, Sculpture, and Metaphor, The Art Mu-

seum Association of America, San Francisco,

What It Is, Tony

California

New York City

Shafrazi Gallery,

Special Projects Paint set

MTV during guest appearance ofDuran Duran, New York City

Paint permanent murals at

Mount

Sinai pediatrics ward,

New York City

Collaborate with Brion Gysin on Fault Lines

Collaborate with Jenny Holzer on billboards for Vienna Festival 86, Vienna, Austria

Body-paint Grace Jones for feature film Vamp, Los Angeles, California Paint 90' x 90' outdoor mural,

Amsterdam, Holland

Children's drawing workshop, Stedelijk

Open Pop

Shop,

retail store,

Create background art for

Design

set for

Museum, Amsterdam, Holland

292 Lafayette

Street,

Run DMC/ADIDAS

The Legend of Lily

Overstreet,

New York City

tour poster

Limbo Theatre, New York

Drawing workshop, Children's Museum of Manhattan, Collaborate with 1,000 ner,

City

New York City

New York City youths on 6-story

Citykids Speak on Liberty ban-

dedicated on July 2 for Statue of Liberty centennial celebration

Create mural for Club Paint Crack

DV8, San

Wack murals,

Paint permanent murals at

Francisco, California

New York City

Woodhull Hospital, Brooklyn,

New York

Collaborate with Grace Jones on I'm Not Perfect video, Paris, France, and

New

York

City Paint mural at Jouets 8c Cie toy store, Paris, France Paint 300' mural

on Berlin Wall, West Germany

Collaborate on outdoor mural with Phoenix, Arizona, schoolchildren, Washington and

Adams

Book

Streets,

An American

Phoenix, Arizona

ogu e

Renaissance: Painting

(Abbeville Press,

Drawings and a

Museum, Amsterdam, Holland)

Text: various authors

New York)

Keith Haring: Paintings,

and Sculpture Since 1940.

Vellum. Text: Jeffrey Deitch (Stedelijk

Art After Midnight: The East Village Scene. Text: Steven Hager

(St.

Martin's Press,

New

York) Input/Output. Editors: Time-Life Books (Time-Life Books, Alexandria, Virginia)

What It Is.

Editor: Wilfried

Dickhoff(Tony Shafrazi

Gallery,

New York)

Art in Transit (Japanese Edition). Introduction: Henry Geldzahler; photographs: Tseng

Kwong Chi (Kawade Shobo

text:

Keith Haring;

Shinsha, Tokyo, Japan)

111

r.:

Keitli flaring.

Zena Scharf, Tereza Scharf, Andy Warhol, and Kenny Scharf, 1981

1987

FEBRUARY

19 8

Sitting outside in shorts

with

porch painted yellow and blue with blue

been

weeks already and haven't written anything

to Brazil for three

Neuromancer by William Gibson and The Autobiography of Malcolm tion

Bill

paintings

And

found out Andy Warhol had died. Since then

else.

This

return to

New

work on sculptures

the maquettes

Luna Luna, ial

on April

rant in

yet.

read

painted a few

on the walls of Kenny's house on the beach outside of Ilheus.

sort of changes

the artists' 1

Then

Yoko Ono. After

Munich

amusement

has been hard to think

right

away

Europe. To Belgium

have a show in June in Knokke and then to

in a steel factory outside of Diisseldorf (I'm

now) and then

Kyoto and

my schedule.

York on March 16 and go

check out the place I'm supposed to

and chairs

X and Extermina-

Burroughs and re-read Brion Gysin's The Last Museum.

then

of anything I'll

tables

of flies trying to make myself start to write.

lots

I've

park.

get to stay in N.Y.

supposed

Germany

be making

put the finishing touches on the Carousel for

Then

return to N.Y. in time for Andy's

and paint

finish the sets/costumes for the

a painting for

Mr. Chow's

memor-

new

restau-

dance piece with Jennifer Muller and

the opening night of that piece, April 21,1 leave for Europe. Again.

113

Keith Haring painting

backdrop for Jennifer Muller's "Interrupted

River,"

1987

[I'm going] for a group

and

hospital there

show

work on

Beaubourg

in Paris

and

Germany and then

the sculptures in

mural

Tokyo,

judge a streets

also.

Then back

Europe or America

Antwerp and open Europe

some new

sculpture competition for Parco. Supposedly designing street signs for in

at a children's

Tokyo

for

show

June

till

Antwerp on June

when I have

4. June 5,

be on

TV in Brussels or

Luna Luna opens. Then

opening of Knokke show and sculpture project and maybe

stay in

mural in a

building in Diisseldorf.

That

is it

This gives

that

sufficient time to stay

and keep

my mind

January,

had

now

July and for

till

off of

what

to start to deal

of guiding (aesthetic)

spirit to

that

planned.

busy and keep

my mind and body

new

help keep I

situation of aloneness.

me on

Bobby was always

another Party of Life without Bobby, although this year. It

bird getting thrown out of the nest.

last

were instrumental

helping shape that path.

Pinocchio.

the right choices

was sent

He knew everybody and

as a

was

It's

had already

kind of like a

few years especially have been important and

make

a saint that

kind

There cannot be

we (Bobby, Julia Gruen and

changes things in a funny way.

challenging times to

Bobby was

114

The

the right path for the last few years. His

respected his taste and judgment. Ultimately

decision, always, but his strong opinion helped sway those decisions.

decided we wouldn't do one

occupied

disappearing around me. After Bobby Breslau died in

with a

opinion was highly regarded and

is all

and chart the

right path.

messenger and protector,

introduced

to other

Bobby and Andy

Jiminy Cricket

key people in

life, like

Grace Jones and Larry Levan.

and endorsement to.

He had been Everyone

ties.

Burroughs

that

won

for

wasn't so

whole

living in N.Y. his

that

much Bobby's

me and adopted

knew Bobby respected

the role as

and had been on the "scene" since the Six-

life

his opinion.

He had worked

And

height of his career in the Seventies.

at the

introduction, but his support

the immediate respect of the people he introduced

with Stephen

then in the early 1980s he met

guide and protector. Bobby was the perfect screen to

throw ideas against. His reaction, whether positive or negative, whether followed or contested,

was always a very concrete reaction and very strong opinion. Although we some-

times disagreed about things, the very fact that

confidence

my opinions

never judged me, but often disciplined

something was

been advised dialing a

bad

to or not.

He pushed

me and would

the phone, before

never sitting

beside

first

it"

little

dio, see a painting, it

again, kid."

And

"dances," as Benny Soto called them,

and jump up and down and clap

my desk and

whether

line

liked

think," like

The

And when

ultimate sign of

when he would

his hands.

"Way

enter the stu-

to go, kid."

Or "You

Always encouragement and support.

not only for me.

Bobby helped many with

and

his insight, advice, opinions,

dancers to perform-

to designers, to artists to

musicians, photographers, business people, and just plain friends.

He was quick to

suggest available opportunities and options and offer confidence for

any projects you were considering. the

to protest or think

them what you

"tell

tell

place.

encouragement and support. From models ers,

with a strong but gentle arm, and a sharp but tactful tongue.

approval was the

to clarify

me whether he had

had a chance

he liked something he was never subtle in showing his praise.

did

not hesitate to

lie to

speak to the person on the other

"thank them" or "deal with

should have in the

disagree helped

He would

remember on occasion Bobby

would have

and was forced

knew

or bad manners.

taste

number and handing me

twice, so that not,

we did

or decisions.

He made

same time he was an extraordinary

from Diana Vreeland hanging to leather tion.

what

The

we made Avenue

Cellini

leather in

December and It

Bobby was

to gold."

"baby" he made

Hong Kong.

leather couch.

interest in

was

in his

was the

artist

find the

and craftsman

and never complained. At

himself.

apartment was a testimony

to this.

His leather work was incredible

me was

for

was incredible

last

this his role in life

new

thing he

to arrive

for

home

my new

letter

"You

are

design and execu-

apartment on Sixth

he had made

me, and they are

behind the Pop Shop.

"making money" and understood,

said,

prototype for the "inflatable baby"

set of "Bobby Pillows"

made

also the guiding light

later a

The framed She

match

really beautiful.

respected

limited

do, the aesthetic reasons for the

Pop

115

Bobby Breslau, New

1986

York City,

The Pop

Shop's existence.

Shop

an extended "per-

formance" and even though

Bobby

tried

make

"make money," he never pushed me and never questioned

my own

and reasons

goals

doing

Although

Shop.

the

personal for

opinions differed,

our

we understood each

remember one of

went into the hospital. ager of the

Pop Shop, and

Shop. Bobby explained starting the

what

attitude

was always the

that he "always

how

articles

had I

Bobby had worked and went along with

young

find

in the

of interest and bringing

singer

we went

it.

and

Mew

who we had

feeling" about

open

anyone let

me know

incentive for

shop and not make

that before, but

he thought

tapes to listen

"knew

need

it.

fill

also

to.

eyes and ears.

He was

could "sense"

always cliptalent.

One

Limelight for one of the Jacksons. There

never heard before I

He was

York Times and the Post.

who

performed.

kept telling

wasn't really that impressed by her, but he was really

Losing Bobby meant a new responsibility

for it.

Well, he was right, as usual. She was

ances, but also to try to

good

sensitivity.

to a party at the

great he thought she was.

adamant about

that

personal goals for the Pop

wasn't so interested in making money.

why someone would want

artist's sensibility

first to

time a few years ago

was

had before Bobby

was doing."

Bobby had an

ping

misunderstanding of

his

Shop and "understood" why

don't think

respected

Bobby and Julia and

were discussing the "career-minded" goals of the man-

Very few people understand

money.

other and respected each other.

the last meetings

the gap he

left

Whitney Houston.

to not only

by continuing

go forward without his assur-

to give

support to other people

The

thing in the world

last

expected

to hear after

left

for Brazil

was

Andy

that

died.

Andy was what

support

that

the

complement

was doing was on the

me and

Bobby's support.

right track.

mean,

it's

He was

not as

the other assurance that

if there aren't

any more people

me confidence, it's just that Bobby and Andy were probably the

give

main two. Andy's

life

bility for

and work made

my work possible. Andy

He was

art to exist.

the

first

real public artist in a holistic sense

changed the concept we have of "art and

and

life

real

"modern

show

at the

and

the only real

how in

art (a celebration

little

area

and took

little

Pop

artist.

the rest of the

thing that

was

series

and

He was

his art

the

first

was most impressed by was a paragraph

a quote from

the beginning of Pop there

withdrew from

first

was

Lawrence Alloway

breakdown and fusion of

embraced by Pop

artists.

Then

this

back into the form

their ideas

the point

One

of popular culture) that was

the painters

and arena of the said,

the 20th century.

Dia Foundation of the "Disaster"

accompanying pamphlet about the paintings. about Pop Art, saying life

life" in

artist."

Andy was probably in a recent

precedent for the possi-

set the

art "establishment."

This,

where Andy separated from

group and remained true

to the

original ideas of Pop Art.

Andy remained

vented the idea of the Art

itself.

Pop

life

rein-

artist

being

artist.

of the

challenged the whole notion of

the "sacred" definition of Art.

boundaries between

art

and

life

blurred the

much

that

they were practically indistinguishable.

addressed the phenomena of the

camera and recorded image

Duchamp

challenged the

only hinted

at.

way

that

whole commodity-oriented direction of the at their own game. He became a teacher for a generation of artists

Art world by beating them

now, and in the future,

who grew up on

born,

who "understand"

artist

since Picasso, whether people like

digital

and auction worlds didn't know

Pop,

knowledge.

how

who watched

television since they

honestly think he was the most important

or not, and a lot of them don't.

to deal

were

with him.

The

The museum

"value" of his work was not

117

much more

equivalent to the "market value" of his works. Conceptually, he was certainly

important than Johns or Lichtenstein, but his prices never equalled theirs because he

game" by

didn't play "the I

was continually

reasons. For me, different

But

the rules.

getting

compared

was an honor

and our contributions I

Andy, but

be compared

don't

know

was

him even though

debt to him.

The

biggest

friends

began

we began

amounts).

pared

to trade

works we traded value

work

to trade

work (one

for

Andy

learned a lot of things from

happened

for the "success" that

"responsibility" of that success.

ideas and suggestions, sometimes

are very

for value,

we became

one instead of disproportionate

for

in the five years

his support.

but quickly as

while

we were

friends.

knew him, and

taught

pre-

the

taught mostly by example, but would often offer

humorous and sometimes

years he was one of the few artists that

could

really talk to

attempting to do. Also, he was one of the only

work more and work

honor was the support

and endorsement he bestowed upon me. By mere association he showed

When we

for the right

feel

are different.

acknowledge

will always

artists

serious.

During the

whose studio would

few

last

about some of the things inspire

was

was the one who convinced me to be more When I was at the Factory and he could do more to start working out. He was always interested in

harder. Ironically, he

health-conscious and aware of my body.

push-ups than me, everything

around him.

knew

was time

was doing and was

totally

plugged in to everything that was happening

didn't, however, only take; he gave as

much

as or

more than he

took.

was the personification of New York. It is

where

hard

imagine what N.Y. will be

go or what

Selfishly,

without Andy.

How

will

anybody know

"cool"?

feel like I will lose

more than most.

lost a friend, a teacher,

and the

biggest supporter in the real Art World.

Andy was

Like Bobby,

charting.

set the

popular culture.

anced on the tightrope

the reassurance

precedent for

looked forward

am walking between "high" and "low" art.

Andy

practically

He always added the

Pop Shop by

He got jobs

ideas

his

Most

bal-

anticipated

me fall.

only write to

critics

and previous statements, anyway.

convinced support

to a

open the Pop Shop when

new idea or venture. He

creating a T-shirt for for

art critic's.

His support made

wrong move and anxiously

His understanding was more valued than any

own

course

the validation for a kind of "seriousness" or "realness" that

oblivious to the critic vultures waiting for a

defend their

to for the difficult

venture into the commercial world and the

and plugging

me, he directed collectors

me and

further

started to get cold feet.

showed

his

support for

any opportunity.

continually traded works.

feel like

have a responsibility to

encouraged. There

nobody

now

there

Andy ing,

know

isn't

nobody.

can pay homage the way that

new

will

risk is involved

clearer.

be even more

and

difficult

right

without

an honorable undertak-

it is

hate sounding pretentious or egotistical,

how

never thought anyone understood

really

can. At least,

coming up somewhere, but

artists

now or not.

become

In time everything will

except that

who

worth whatever

it is

continue the things that he inspired and

try to

not an easy venture and

It is

understood

it is

else

now. There have to be

or Bobby, but

whether

anyone

to build

on Andy's achieve-

ments, except Andy, and maybe me. Not only in a formal way, but conceptually and with the

same

holistic

approach and

attitude.

His visual vocabulary and technical means and

and

especially the actual "look" of his art (his line, his "graphic" sense) determined

made

possible the wide range of applications and complexity of his "art" and

tion into the popular culture.

mined

His graphic quality

in painting

its

integra-

preceded and predeter-

the possibility of using the silk-screen process. Conceptually the photos, films

and photo silk-screens inevitably addressed the commercial world and the mass media.

modern

gave a philosophy to the

value system of images.

The

"value" of "pictures"

and images. All of the philosophy of "fame

and success" and

of "machine art" and "business as art" and

known work

This

bility

what

where

life

think

style)

possesses within

and the things

ror of that.

That

think

and

a careful evaluation

itself that

happens

determines

live in

its

think the

work I am doing and

and the times we

really naturally

my graphic

and understanding of what evolution.

that

the

sensiis

and

about understanding not

It's

live in

and inevitably

The

inevitable.

and being

you

a kind of mir-

are honest with your-

the reason

have the Pop Shop and

why I can do a video for Grace Jones and

use computers, design sculpture parks, vodka ads, and make paintings without

contradicting

early

early graphic sensibility.

were

your times.

why I can it

that followed

share the most with Andy.

only the works, but the world

self and

of the personification of what became

and career have taken was completely determined by

(my drawing it

of the portraits and films and talk

Pop Art was born of his honest evolution of his

naturally "happened,"

direction

all

work

(i.e.,

itself.

the

The

line

attitude of the

subway drawings, public murals, graphic contribution) determined

the public-ness of the work. Popular culture ingests

But of course

The philosophy and

determines the work.

liked

it,

art

whether

I like it

or not.

because that was the whole intention of the

and enter the culture by understanding broaden the concept of

and the

artist as

and

much

reflecting

it;

art: to affect

to contribute to

and

as possible. Artists help us under-

stand ourselves and our times through pictures, parables, and actions.

Andy under-

119

Keith Haring and Andy Warhol,

New

York City,

stood that better than anybody. His

life

was

1985

his art

and

his art

was

his

life.

They were

practically indistinguishable.

Andy understood "modern"

life. I

Andy had an parties

His

incredible sense of timing.

when

the party

was

goodbye.

were equally well timed. It

was, of course, too

when nobody would

style.

and the

would

he had

left

thing

different.

Andy

lived a totally

at the right time.

He'd

actually "started."

goodbye

to everyone, so he'd just realize

and

start saying,

didn't want his exit to signal the "end" of the least

hundreds of

had

him slipping out without saying

and then people would slowly

gone and

learned from going to a lot of

signal that the party

often catch

suspected

parties

missed; his absence both bewildering and unexpected. will

he always arrived

difficult to try to say

notice

he quietly slipped out when we left like

One

that

"modern."

art.

in full swing, but before the peak. In fact, his entry

"Andy's gone, when did he leave?" party, so

art, really

"modern"

often be the height of the party

exits

leave

"modern"

and "social" events with Andy was

always arrive

would

the idea of

think he reinvented

miss him already.

mysteriously and with

unnoticed leaving, but instantly

The

party goes on, but something

MARCH On

1987:

2 0,

plane from Diisseldorf

A continuing contemplation

New York

brings

City

conclusion that

to the

all

of this problem of

"the surface" of painting stems from an inability to paint or to create an image of ade-

quate strength. Even old painters were not obsessed with this problem of the surface.

They

are, in fact, quite thin.

The

illusion

created with color, perspective, space, com-

position, etc.

The

current preoccupation with the surface,

inability to deal

with the painting as an image

Andy Warhol timeless

a perfect

and monumental

think, stems from the painter's

itself.

example of the minimum requirement

and wood constructions, which serve

for not

knowing what

an image of

quality.

All of the unnecessary application of wax, straw, towels, sils

to create

up"

to "build

broken

the surface,

plates, chairs, utenis

merely an excuse

to paint!

Most "modern" painting

formal investigation, which better serves a pursuit

lost in

of "science of materials" than a true pursuit of images and intervention, and

Any "real" intervention

in the culture is

beyond

art.

the limitations of materials

and

"for-

mal elements." Material should be at the service of the painter, not a prerequisite to the painting itself.

Broken

plates, straw,

wax, and wooden constructions are only an excuse, and do not

constitute an evolution of ideas.

"the surface" through thing

artificial

It is

quite easy to "invent"

means.

It is

new

areas of discussion of

only a diversion from the real import of the

itself.

Art

is,

after all,

about the image we have before us, the lasting impact and

image has on us, not only the ego of the

artist

effect that

whose obsession with himself prevents him

from seeing the larger picture. Julian Schnabel

not a genius. He's probably not even a great painter. I'm sure that

interesting today in a limited capacity

and he

dealers, but in the long run, his contribution

most of the

territory of the

ambiguous

is slight.

very interesting for collectors and

Joseph Beuys has already explored

figurative abstraction that Julian

Schnabel pre-

tends to have invented. Certainly his paintings can sometimes allude to

we have never seen

before (new forms,

etc.).

"new

inventions of nature" or things

However, what

this? Is this new, or

even

interesting?

His

own

conviction of his "importance" makes

obnoxious insistence on

his

importance disgusts

him even more

to the point

difficult to digest.

His

of nausea. If he again

attempts to at

make one of his

Andy's memorial on Wednesday,

do my best

Andy

end

promise

will

speech as quickly as possible.

his

hated his speeches and would never have

wanted him

speak

After

Condo

went there

Phalle's show, but mostly to

opening).

German

The

George

running into

"accidentally"

Munich

memorial.

at his

Speaking of memorials

at his

speeches

self- referential

for Niki

de Saint-

meet Jean Tinguely

funniest thing was the big

fat

ladies standing in front of Niki's sculp-

tures looking exactly like the big fat sculptures!

Jean was fun as usual! Very

and very

fast

brought masks

to the

the atmosphere

around immediately!

fun.

boring lunch and turned

Juan Rivera mid Keith Having,

New

York City, October 6,

1986

Jean has made, trade for a painting '84. It

was

a two-sided painting

finally, I

a sculpture for

did in Lausanne in 1983 or

did as a "performance" in the

museum

during a show of

"New Art" from America. Anyway, George Condo's show was quite incredible and very favorite painter, with,

of course, Jean-Michel Basquiat,

Anyway, the reason

ment

first I

was

cjuite

was sure

was

much

clearer.

And

there

He's

that

a big difference.

still

that in the supple-

read in the airplane from

Munich

was not an intellectual

reading George's interview. However, a few days of thought

between our pursuits much but

depressed because

George*.

the tOA of art

started to write this (about memorials)

George's catalogue, there was an interview

Diisseldorf. after

still

made

the difference

some

things,

different.

Anyway, there

one question George

more important, and George

said art

struck a very deep note inside me. For

is I

asked about

life

and art and which

more important because

it is

immortal. This

quite aware of the chance that

have or will

have AIDS.

The odds dropping

me alive

are very great and, in fact, the

like flies

this long.

and I

know in my

don't

know

heart that

have

five

symptoms it is

already exist.

friends are

only divine intervention that has kept

months or

five years,

but

know my days

are

numbered. This

why my

activities

ble as quickly as possible.

2 2

and projects

are so important now. To do as

I'm sure that what

will live

after

die

much

as possi-

important enough to

make

sacrifices of

personal

luxury and leisure time now.

Work

I have

all

and art

more important than

Look

life.

Andy. All of

sudden he

gone. All

have

remember and keep him

alive

of the things he

all

mem-

Everything, every

left.

ory becomes invaluable, time-

But

less.

the

"things" will

survive me, the memories will die with me.

I'm not really scared of AIDS. Not for myself. I'm scared of having to watch

more people agony.

die in front of me.

Watching Martin Burgoyne or Bobby die was pure

refuse to die like that. If the time comes,

think suicide

and much easier on friends and loved ones. Nobody deserves

fied

much more to

watch

digni-

this

kind

of slow death. always knew, since

was young,

that

fast (an accident, not a disease). In fact, a I

not scared.

I live

every day as

if it

would

die young. But

man-made

were the

last.

been very lucky so

far;

luckier than many.

/ love

love babies

life. I

Almost

all

bond between me and

this

know

these things.

kind of person. That

to these special people. It

tell,

artists

have

this

but

and children

for granted, I

assure you.

was given

that has

children. Children can sense this "thing" in me.

Most of my

why

will. I

love him, I'm sure. I've always

Some

friends are this kind of person. Juan

this quality that separates

don't understand this now, but you

Many

would be

children have a special sense of this "thing" in other people. They know.

special people also

Rivera

will

a lot of people!

don't take

appreciate everything that has happened, especially the gift of life

created a silent

thought

AIDS. Time

and some people, most peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; well, maybe not most, but I've

disease like

from other

been attracted

artists.

Maybe you

different.

understanding of the world that separates them from

it,

but only some of them are truly special in a way that they can touch other people's lives

and pass through them. I'm sure when

many

die,

won't

really die,

because

live in

people.

Spirits travel without limits.

would never

really die.

Andy

lives inside

many

now.

people.

knew

before he died that he

He understood

all

of these

things.

Most people never tor, a

give

"user" of people. In

be used.

He wanted

see themselves.

him

fact,

make

He was

for other people's lives.

credit for this.

the opposite

who

has an outward image of a manipula-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; people used him and he

things better for everyone else.

not transparent, but maybe a mirror.

Everyone ultimately charts

You can only help and encourage people are the people

true

their

own

helped a

The

cm usa

himself

of people to

Nobody can be

responsible

course.

The most evil people

to live for themselves.

pretend to have the answers.

let

lot

all

dog-

matic "control religions," are

evil.

fundamentalist Christians,

The

ideas are good. But

original

they are so convoluted and changed

of good inten-

that only a skeleton

tions

is left

Most of the done false

world

evil in the

name of good

in the

prophets, bullshit

(religion,

artists, politi-

cians, businessmen).

The whole concept ness"

Most white men white

of "busi-

is evil.

man

are evil.

The

has always used religion

as the tool to

fulfill

and

his greed

power-hungry aggression. Business

body and

control. Control of mind, All stories of white filled

spirit.

only another

name

for

is evil.

men's "expansion" and "colonization" and "domination" are

with horrific details of the abuse of power and the misuse of people.

I'm sure inside I'm not white. There destiny to

fail.

The end

inevitable.

ease, they've killed before evil

Control

and

will

no way

to stop

So who cares

continue to

kill

them, however. I'm sure

these pigs

until they

kill

with their

it is

our

evil dis-

suck themselves into their

own

grave and rot and stink and explode themselves into oblivion.

I'm glad I'm different. I'm proud to be gay. I'm proud to have friends and lovers of every color.

Today

am ashamed read in the

of my forefathers.

New

York Times that

all

not like them.

of the officers

who

killed

Michael Stewart

were again dismissed of charges. Continually dismissed, but in their minds they will never forget. killed

him.

They

that forever.

will

never forget his screams, his face, his blood.

They know

They must

live

they

with

TWJ tffc I

hope

in their next

birds captured early in

them

life

life,

in a small dirty cage

they are tortured

put

in cages,

up near

the blood spatters their cage

they tortured him.

purchased by

the ceiling while

and the frying

fat

all

kill

a big fat ugly cat will kick

them and

can't see her

An eye

own

feet

an eye

One day

the cage will

them about, play with them

because of her huge sagging .

keeps

day she cooks bloody sausages and

leave their remains to be accidentally stepped

for

who

burns their matted feathers and they can

never escape the horrible fumes of her burnt meat.

ground and

They should be

a fat, smelly, ugly lady

like a toy,

on by the big

fat

fall

to the

and slowly

pig lady

who

tits.

I'm not afraid of anything I'd ever done.

Not ashamed of anything.

MAY The This

11,

first is

1987: TOKYO

parts of this are being rewritten from notes taken since the beginning of the trip.

the

first

time I've had time to write.

APRIL 22 Leave

New

York City

Smoking pot

all

the

way

7:30

for Paris.

Came

limo with Adolfo Arena.

to airport in

to the airport.

Traveling with Juan and Kwong. Take two Valiums and sleep almost

all

the

way

(to

Paris.

APRIL 23 Arrive in the morning.

painted) and

some

Necker wanted

There were

Took

a taxi into Paris to

luggage. Called George

drop off the Beaubourg canvas

Condo

Vendome

Hotel. Also Hopital

meeting so we rushed over and had a meeting with the people there.

several painting experts(?),

Hopital seemed a

bit

and we met the hospital

apprehensive about what

seen some books/catalogues and were a

worried.

little

explained

directors.

would

drew

why

caught

and

work from "exact"

They seemed

more "assured." Chose paint went back

only

a quick sketch

didn't

plans or sketches.

They had

paint.

colors.

bit

Then

meet Juan and Kwong and

taxi to airport for

3:00 PM

flight to

Diisselfdorf.

Arrive in Diisseldorf at 4:00 PM. Picked

up by Hans Mayer. Go immediately

for Landois."

5:00 PM.

"Red

Looks O.K.

Meeting with Hans and executive from Mercedes-Benz dorf. Discuss possibility of

and then

Essen

see the cut-outs of maquette of

Dog

APRIL 24 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 11:00

to gallery

to factory in

Mercedes painting

Mercedes plant

sculptures.

Tour

in Diissel-

the plant. Pretty

incredible.

Two PM sible at after

first.

return to factory in Essen to attempt to construct maquette.

Ancient

having worked Eventually

roller (portable)

get

borrowed

2 6

attempt to

roll

Seemed impos-

the steel. Discouraging

Lippincott.

some

satisfactory results

radius, position, etc., of final maquettes.

good enough

at least to indicate the exact

Return

Achenbach

BBD&O

meeting with Helge

to Diisseldorf for to discuss

mural

new headquarters of

(huge advertising agency, I'm told) and

meet one of the presidents of BBD&O. Looks O.K.

Then

(surprise), dinner with the

Achenbach

trying to get

Sol Lewitt will do

they say Sol will so

agree to

But

if he

Had

told

it. I

only

does

Hans

involved.

times has a

him

does. I'm sure he won't.

if Sol

will.

it, I

Hans of the mural

the evening before

(justifiably)

Tony

thinks

Shafrazi

don't really think so since

way of fucking up

over Achen-

should

doing the work

making money

Hans

a meeting with

the percentage.

Tony some-

projects like this

Tony and suggested he have

Achenbach and share course everyone

Sam

for a minute,

over-complicating them, but to appease called

would

already agreed and

don't believe

and he expressed concern bach.

told

with.

since they say

it,

Hockney have

Francis and David

do carpet

Sneaky surprise, but unavoidable. only do

man Helge

off this

So of

and

Hans Mayer, Klaus Richter, Keith Haring at foundry,

again.

Diisseldorf,

APRIL

2 5 same

and arrange

him

at his

show. He's

Buy a postcard of my mural from New York City I hadn't seen before and

sign copies

Call Julian Schnabel at hotel (he's in installing a

show

at the

museum.

of books in bookstore after

museum

sculptures. Great sculpture gardens. chitz. Incredible

Van Gogh

all

look

and Renoir and Mondrians important "space"

to see

like all

was

with Hans. Possible place to show the big

Huge. Great Dubuffet, Oldenberg and

collections

together because main building

made them

hotel)

looked good.

am recognized.

Drive to Netherlands to see

ation. It

Germany, 1987

all

hanging salon-style, side by

getting repainted or

lots

of Lip-

side,

packed

under construction. Funny

situ-

cheap imitations because of how they were hung, Manet

mixed up, side by side and only inches

apart.

Funny how

When

"importance"

their

reduced and they're forced

compete with each other

they are not so "grand" anymore. Only the great ones withstand this

and

art history

Great lesson in

reality.

Drive back to Diisseldorf

change and shower

110

dinner

mph

Hans' convertible

BMW just

in time to

Krupp's house.

We are the only ones not wearing

Nice, "cute" mansion. Very formal couscous buffet. ties.

test.

Nice people, lousy food. "Chit-chat" and discuss possibility of Krupp doing assem-

bly of other sculptures since original factory only seems capable of "cutting," not assem-

bling and bending.

this a

prearranged "accidental coincidence"? Hans

many dinner parties were

Like Andy,

sense to

Was

also "meetings in disguise."

No wasted

very clever.

time!

Makes

Did some drawings

for guests, including the inevitable "this

for

16-year-old

brother" drawing. If I

ing for

could only meet

all

these 16-year-old sons, brothers,

nephews I'm always draw-

APRIL 26

V N DA Y,

Went with Hans

Kunstsammlung

in Diisseldorf to see incredible collection.

for days!

Twombly, Rauschenberg, Beuys

Nobody

has a Warhol collection in a

Andy gets

museum

like this in

much more

respect in

Warhols Europe.

America. Small museum, great

light.

Hans has great stories of times spent with Andy this

much time with and was still selling paintings I

Germany. Anybody who Andy spent

and doing

favors for

must be O.K.

becoming more respectful of Hans and wondering why Tinguely warned me

about him?

But there's always two sides

Went

incredible.

Return park and

for this

should

amazing circular piece of land

has an idea for

stories!

middle of his property. Looks

and pack

for return to Paris.

Kwong Chi

has been running in the

convinced he has found the "cruising part" because of discarded rubbers and

Good

yet another

for

him

AIDS

article

Herald Tribune. Article about homophobia

Very frightening, but very predictable. In fact, very

2 8

in the

increase on American college campuses. Violence, etc.

know about two-sided

intrigued and honored.

to hotel

trampled bushes.

Read

Hans's new house being reconstructed.

to see

huge sculpture

to every story.

much

according to "plan," I'm sure.

PMâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Fly to

3:00

Check

M O N DA Go

Paris

La Louisiane. Dinner with Juan and Kwong

APRIL 27

Hopital Necker to check paint, buy brushes,

Beaubourg

in Brasserie.

how

to explain

hang

etc.

Seems

in order.

canvas and inquire about photo of mural being

included in exhibition. Inquire about Beaubourg video crew shooting mural painting.

Three women assure me they

will

this.

Of course,

consequently, they never appear

Dinner with Condo and Mabe and Kwong and Juan.

again.

TUESDAY, APRIL 2 8 10:00 AM â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Arrive at Necker ready to paint. 1

1:30: Paint arrives. Begin to paint.

struggle alone ately realize

till

4:00 PM.

brushing

all

Kwong

told

lunch and go buy rollers myself. Hospital

hotel.

am working

inside a

didn't think

sleeping. Beginning

of background color

don't understand what I'm saying.

Juan

box held from

very

needed him

difficult.

ridiculously impossible.

staff

Kwong Chi

Immedibreak for

doesn't understand English and

arrives after frantic secretaries call

crane by a steel cable. Building

eight

stories high.

moving

Instructions for are signaled to

man

ing crane. Tricky at

maneuverable. arrives

When

because

paint at

same

Juan

time.

but

much

becomes

easier

operatfirst

both

outline,

rolls.

Finish at 8:00 PM. colors,

Two

two coats each.

Dinner with Roger Nellens

and wife and gorgeous

son

Talk ner.

Otto Hahn's house.

business

Discuss

Knokke

all

entire

din-

aspects of

Hopital Necker. Paris, France, 1987

exhibition.

129

Juan points out

later in hotel that Nellens'

T-shirts

Pop Shop merchandise

3. Posters

order of business

little

strange:

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; invitations

4. Exhibition 5. Possible

agree, he has

mural

backwards.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 8:00 AM-8:30 PM: Paint mural. Meet Julia with Juan there

day. Fourth color

all

from brushes and

blistered

10:00 PM: Dinner

from Jim.

now

lunchtime.

La Coupole

opening of Jim Rosenquist's show.

for

makes

I'll

visit

when I

It's

faster

when he was working

Sit across

New

her

etc.

York

mural sound small. Talking about 40-

Meet Belgian lady who has

me who

gallery Brussels.

THURSDAY, APRIL 30 Mural rained out â&#x20AC;&#x201D; thank God! Feel too sore to paint anyway. This means mural and do Beaubourg painting before Japan. So

to finish

Much

here and fun. Meet Swedish dealer interested in showing

shows Rauschenberg, Rosenquist,

Makes me promise

brushes.

on, two coats each. Arms, hands hurt and

has great stories of sign-painting days

Julia

Buy more

rollers.

City in the Sixties. Incredible stories. foot O's

I'll

it's

impossible

do Beaubourg painting

return.

Beaubourg

to explain this. In the

meantime, they have canvas hanging already.

hanging backwards (seams facing out).

museum.

It's

so big

nobody knows what

might not be doing the bag they asked

Went

Templon

think of the paintings.

to see

Went

impossible to find anyone in this

going on. Very frustrating.

Now

they say they

design either.

Jim Rosenquist's show. Nice drawings. I'm not sure what

to see

Was having an argument

Bruno Schmidt's show and met Kwong Chi

(silly)

with Juan earlier in the

room because

there.

said he

was

"stupid" because he was watering the flowers in the room with the shower hose. So he

wanted

to stay in the

thing

O.K.

to see

room. But

ran into

him on

the street outside of the gallery. Every-

Herve DiRosa's show. Disappointed, but

wasn't expecting much. I'm

sure

possible to

it's

anywhere

interest

know

the difference between

good and bad

painting.

and Condo are the only ones

right now. Basquiat

Not much of

think are really

good.

Had I

lunch

know what

go over

list

for

(my

favorite) restaurant

order on the

menu and

near Beaubourg. Probably

the waitresses aren't so rude.

my favorite Met Julia

my birthday dinner. Kwong is out researching restaurants

because

at hotel to

to find a suitable

"background atmosphere." 5:00 PM: Interview with Otto

Halm

Interrupted by George Condo's

for

phone

Beaux-Arts magazine in hotel.

me and Juan

call inviting

dinner

Claude

Picasso's house.

Interview went O.K. Forever trying to explain the same things.

seems people

always "understand" after asking the right questions. Each interview helps stand more about what

Dinner

magnets on

under-

think myself.

Claude and Sydney Picasso's house was interesting

their refrigerator. It

must be incredible

to eat, sleep,

— fun. They had KH

watch TV,

etc.,

around

these paintings. I

guess the family always gets the best work. Lots of pieces I've never seen before.

Amazing how many

Picasso seems endless.

enough.

mean,

I've barely created ten years

progress and evolution

remarkable.

would

one can produce

you

live

long

of serious work. Imagine 50 years.

The

things

love to live to be

50 years

old.

Imagine

hardly seems possible.

FRIDAY, MAY Not

for

—WO RKE RS DAY OFF '

AM — Fly to Munich with Kwong and Juan. We meet people from Luna Luna at airport and drive 9:00

burg and then lunch outside with cute

tulips

and

to hotel

beer, watching

busboys with

Then immediately Augsburg

to a little

town

work on

the carousel.

in the country.

was about

over the world.

Reminds me of Kutztown

dreamed of when statues, etc., etc.

also designs other

was

The

a kid. Twelve-foot-tall

area. It turned out the for a living

amusement park

The house and surroundings were

restores old ones.

The

pants and

a half hour's drive from

guy who was working on the carousel (Peter Petz) makes them all

tight

butts.

little

them

(Holiday Inn) in Augs-

rides

and sends

and paints and

incredible. Like a place

always

King Kongs, monsters, pieces of carousels,

family turned out to be really nice.

carousel was great, except for a few

"unknown"

characters

never drew and a

0®*%F®9i

i jiJHJ^ Luna Luna, Hamburg, Germany, Summer, 1987

change

design of the top panel that they said they "found in

Andrew

carousel people say

they did

Heller (Luna Luna) told them to change

themselves. Either

possible.

ignored their idea of adding a snake to

didn't use the

The

and Heller says

"mouth"

book."

character,

and

my pattern, by doing abstract lines instead.

They added lines through stomachs because

my book.

they said they saw a drawing

like that in

(So what?)

Anyway, besides

this,

everything there went great.

painted the inside part of the

carousel with cartoon characters and did the top border with abstract lines.

finished painting at around eight

and

ate a

girlfriend

— nieces, ex-sister-in-law and nephews.

this that

I'm really glad to be doing what

peaceful and the "family" sort of adopted us.

amazing

for the first

really respect

day you meet somebody.

do.

meal outside prepared by Peter Petz's

was

The

really beautiful. It's

setting

"We decided we amazing

It's

you and go way out of their way

make you

moments

was amazing, love you,"

surreal

which

and

pretty

be working with people

who

as comfortable as possible.

contrast from Paris!

Later

painted a

Coney

we drove lot

Island

hysterically,

3 2

into

of the rides, is

supposed

becoming

the

Augsburg and went etc. It

was incredibly

to look.)

main

to the carnival there,

beautiful

Kwong Chi was

attraction.

where Peter had

and clean and well

great in the

kept. (Like

Fun House — screaming

me and Juan

For

the

main

attraction

a huge base nearby so there were

bumped

rode the bumper cars and

May

Fireworks for

Then so

far)

and

lots of

1st!

all

the

American Army boys. Seems

black boys.

called Tony. He's

still

— very impressive.

to talk

and asked

if it

was

about something. I'm tired of having

taking care of myself. If anything causes

or working hard.

American hotel we've stayed

worried because the Art World gossip hotline

said Christo's wife heard

much. They have

there's

A taste of New York City! We

few hairless muscular brown bodies.

Great display

return to Holiday Inn (the most depressingly

have AIDS.

tension and stress

true.

says

People are really too

to explain to it's

still

Tony how I'm

him, not staying up

late

work.

live for

SATURDAY, MAY Return

was

humpy

to finish painting carousel.

Today

outlined

all

the characters

and chose

their

placement on the carousel. Final choices of lights, colors, etc. Lots of pictures with the "family"

and

friends.

9:00 PM: Drive to Munich.

Kwong

has his "guide," so he has chosen several bars and discos that are listed as

"mixed and young crowd." Hardly

true. Either straight or full

of German queens. Yecch!

NY-NY because the queen at the front sneakers. What a joke. NY-NY— she's obviously never been there. got turned away from

More driver.

tacky bars and finally

home

in a taxi

with

Kwong

door didn't

trying the last chance

— the

luck.

have to go to sleep to leave for the airport early because the Pope

Munich tomorrow and "could

SUNDAY, MAY I

go with

according to the

man

coming

at the front desk.

12:30: Missed the Pope.

3:00 PM.

affect the traffic,"

traffic.

Kwong Chi

Fly to Paris

and

Le Train Bleu

arrive at 2:00 or so. to decorate the cake for

my birthday

dinner there.

The

assistant pastry chef turns out to be extremely cute

sort of way.

before

Rosy cheeks and

we went

(a mistake),

tight pants.

and shy

Nineteen or 20 years old.

but the whole thing turned out to be

in a very

adorable

We smoked

much more

hash

fun than

imagined.

Kwong Chi blew picked up

this one!

his big chance,

Or at

least tried

thought.

If I

was alone

in Paris I'd definitely

have

3 3

Return

The

and

to hotel

restaurant

take a nap, a bath

and dress

inside the train station, but

for dinner.

it is

apparently a very old, very famous

restaurant. Lots of rococo glitz. Very French!

Guests included:

Juan Rivera Julia

Gruen

Tseng Kwong Chi George Condo and Mabe Louis Jammes Francois Boisrond

Remy

Blanchard

Jim and Mimi Rosenquist James Brown

Donald Baechler Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Templon

Andree Putman and

friends

Bruno Schmidt

Chuck Nanney Joe Glasco .

and others

Nice dinner with great toast by Jim Rosenquist. Something

There once was an

ing and also intent After went to

artist

named Haring, whose

line

like:

was never wearing and

sharing. (For exact transcription, see

Kwong

Condo's with Julia, Kwong, Roberto (George's

also dar-

Chi.) assistant), Joe

Glasco

and then Donald showed up complaining about needing more coke and being obnoxious.

We went home

MAY My

198

real birthday.

to try to sleep.

Stayed in bed

till

2:00 PM and then got up and went

show. Depressing in a funny kind of way. he'd get bored.

The drawings

esting. Also, all of the

are

3 4

all

great. Still

Too many drawings of tits and

Matisse

ass. I'd think

of just heads or of more "situtations" were more inter-

more abstracted simple ones and of course

something

to the

left

the paper cut-outs

with an empty feeling. Walked around a

little,

but

it's

cold and rainy. I'm worried about

Necker mural.

finishing the

stop raining It's

don't

Went back

doesn't

I'll

it.

and very windy.

also very cold

Joe Orton's

know when

to hotel

and read

a lot

diary.

Fell asleep.

MAY

9:00 AM:

8 7

Wake up

to finish mural. It's

and

raining, but cloudy

cold.

not

windy and

still

convince myself, though, that

it's

not as cold as yesterday and less windy. I

to hospital

and the crane has not

arrived yet.

Keith Haring and pastry chef.

Very nervous.

Le Train Bleu, Paris, France. 198 7

11:30: Crane arrives and

Juan helps

paint the black lines.

ance and direct the crane since but

it's

Some press

very windy. Wearing gloves and hooded sweatshirt,

finish at

much) visits.

it's

always hard to see anything immediately after

Dan Friedman, Kwong and Juan.

New York and

Tony about

talk to

should have been more

painting at auction.

$17,000-$20,000 or more.

have somebody buy

MAY

198

it.

a disaster,

only went for $12,500.

Tony

wanted

buy

didn't coordinate in time

but disappointing.

Woken up by telephone maybe pick name

Not

told

myself if it went under $15,000. But Julia was over here and to

feel the cold.

good, though.

Eat dinner with Call

don't

visits.

9:00 PM. Looks great, but

finishing. Feels

visits.

(not

Otto Hahn's wife

to bal-

it is

too hard to paint wearing a glove. After a while

Jim Rosenquist

begin to

calls.

Swiss company wants

design cigarette pack and

also.

doubt

ignored"

it,

but ask for proposal ij^New York City.

one of my

collection of "propositions

favorite files.

Have lunch with Julia and Juan. Julia sation about changing gallery situations.

New York today. Depressing conver-

returns to

Always the same problems with money.

Baghoomian

trust Vrej

are

money

doing

wards.

that

Bad

Vrej's

story.

Get-

is like

they

back-

to take drastic action

and

my own.

working on

finally start

They've got

a favor.

may have

owed

don't

either.

games. Always the same

financial

ting

now,

Brown about

from James

stories

at all

Call Tony. Talk about sculpture being

made

for

Island.

Should be

left

Hospital

Children's

Long

installed in July. Vrej has

the gallery.

6:30: Return to hospital for the "recep-

tion" of

one

mural. In the meantime, some-

spray-painted

has

slogans

the

bottom of the concrete where the mural painted. Lately there

students in Paris.

was not

plete stoiy

why

had heard

a lot about

Health,

show up

or Mine Balzac,

wanted

this

advantage of

Park,

New

York,

don't

several feet

1987

and

will

painted

for the

future. Inevitably the art is

will outlive the

3 6

Its

the

graffiti,

opportu-

since

mural begins

The

politics

politics for this paint-

in this hospital,

now and

complications of the moment.

always "outside" of politics, but in this case

supporting the politics of either side.

assume they

don't want to be

probably be removed.

enjoyment of the sick children

mural

mind

below where

are "outside" of ing.

mural and

however,

Jewish Medical Center,

Mew Hyde

scheduled

Minister of

some press was expected. So, to take

com-

involved in the politics of this situation,

Long Island

Children's Hospital.

The

for the reception of the

nity to get attention.

Sculpture commission, Schneider

told the

they are protesting, but it.

by medical

a strike

in the

don't think

mural certainly has no bearing on

only politics are in support of a creative input

into the healing process

and giving

and an attempt

Nobody could

it life.

changing

argue that that

a previously dull,

condoning the

boring building

politics of the govern-

ment's policies to medical students.

The

press attendance

was almost nonexistent. Maybe one or two photographers.

Hospital employees had repainted the

would have made

repainting

Kwong Chi was

of this are

The

feeling

ill

and didn't make

Minister of Health

the

med

Mme

Balzac arrived. This

students) and a great photo.

to the reception, either.

showed up and was very for the fact that

took over the reception and used

vinced

before

me and

So the only photos

Polaroids.

and very boring except

official

graffiti

great press (for

to leave,

and

as their

all

own

nice.

of these

But the whole thing was very

med

student protesters sort of

forum. George

Condo came and

con-

did.

So Juan, George and

went

George's house, watched The Shining (my favorite

horror movie) on video and then did coke and painted. Joe Glasco came and also painted.

So George, Joe, Roberto and

room. Weird, but

interesting.

made

were

all

painting at the same time in the same

three small paintings.

2:00 AM: Return to hotel.

MAY

8 7

12:30: Leave hotel for airport. 2:30:

JAL

flight to

Tokyo

via

Lon-

don and Anchorage. Both times we had

was

to get off the plane. Boring.

a disgusting

man

sitting

There across

from us

who

spitting,

hocking noises and swallow-

kept making obnoxious

ing his slime for the entire 18-hour

Tokyo.

flight to I

finished reading

Orton

diaries

and

read James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room.

posed

meet him

SATURDAY, MAY 1 1

have to read more James Baldwin because I'm sup-

a project with liim in the south of France in a couple of weeks.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; TOKYO

:30 AM: Meeting with Parco judges about the judging procedure for

petition

and discussion of designs (drawings)

for street signs for Parco

Nippon Object Comand contract writing.

Then we go shopping

in Shibuya. Sign

autographs in store and

because we're causing too

tion. Finally leave store

much

start a

chain reac-

congestion.

4:00: Meeting with art critic about judging competition, etc. 6:00: It's like

Shinjuku

to see

neon

signs

and play Pachinko. Tokyo

imagine. Juan has never seen anything like this before and

people. I

truly amazing.

one big amusement park. Video screens everywhere and neon

you cannot

bugging out. Packed with

We eat in a very funky Taiwanese restaurant under a bridge. "Very Bladerunner?

sign chopsticks for everyone at table.

9:00: Juan and friend's

house

take a taxi to

meet Tina

for a macrobiotic dinner.

her hotel and then go to her

sister

Bonnie are

TV star, a designer and a few interesting people.

director, a Japanese

these Japanese names. eating macrobiotic

Chow

Her mother and

can't

that

remember names, period.

our host looks

have

he has AIDS.

know

Also a

remember

can't

reason

a feeling the

all

are

that look well, unfortu-

house, nice people. Tina's mother

nately. Really great dinner, nice

there.

cool and really

is really

beautiful.

TUESDAY, MAY Take

train to

with city

Tama

officials

with children in

1987

12,

City to see

new

Cultural Center (incredible building) and meet

of Tama City. Discuss the project

Tama

City.

children create paintings on

for a

gin" floors.

will not I

September or October

little

and

etc.,

also the project of helping

clay bells that will be put

wooden

kind of "peace ceremony." All details of money,

worked out by Seiko [Uyeda]. Had ing since

will

Creating two murals that will be donated to the city and

placed in children's hospital, sport center, library,

remove shoes

they continue this

thousands of pairs of shoes lined up outside. They

to enter this huge municipal build-

be opened until October 30 and they don't want

could imagine

"tree"

etc., will

when

said,

to dirty its "vir-

the building

public, the

though, that after Oct. 30 peo-

ple can walk in with shoes.

1:00 PM: Return to

Aoyama

meet Kaz Kuzui and

us space for Pop Shop. Great space and great idea. In Tokyo real estate that to rent a space it

almost impossible.

land.

So Pop Shop

will

porary time. Perfect.

since this space

temporarily and pay a rent to the big

go up

a temporary building on

The whole concept

company

giving

to build

unused the

that

temporary location

perfectly in keeping with

so expensive

When companies buy a piece of land

takes two-three years to get the necessary permits, etc.

people sometimes use

who

meet other man

owns

the

for a tem-

my aesthetic.

THURSDAY, MAY

Twelve-hour

Watch Jumping Jack Flash with Whoopi Goldberg. Take

flight to Paris.

Valiums and sleep.

They also showed

Crocodile Dundee. Both movies have

my T-shirts in

them.

Stewardess recognizes Arrive in Paris 5:30 Call Julia

me and

Paris time.

come

to Paris to discuss

some

project.

dinner with Juan and run into curator from Beaubourg and talk about show.

Lucio Amelio

They

plates.

and Tony.

Pierre Keller calls, wants to

asks for autographs

staying in the hotel with

are installing a piece at

Joseph Beuys's

wife, Eva,

and her two

kids.

Beaubourg.

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1987 To Beaubourg to

10:00 AM: tic

bags

arrange painting. Quick meeting with person about the plas-

designed for the show.

agree to take

500 bags

payment, since they

will

not be selling them.

Buy

paint, brushes

and

which

plastic containers,

totals

$1,000. Paint in Paris

ridiculous!

2:00: Return to crew,

hang

museum

hang the canvas

tarp. After giving

up on the museum

myself.

Meet Eva Beuys and Lucio. Back

to hotel

and then walk

George's house to meet them and go to Claude

Picasso's house for his birthday. Adolfo calls with

Boys manager

to arrange tickets for

phone number of Run DMC/Beastie

Tuesday.

SATURDAY, MAY 16 8:30: Another call from Switzerland about cigarette-pack design.

9:15:

Meet

Pierre Keller in the hotel

discuss project for

he took of me and

Lucky

Strike posters.

Andy in my

studio

and go

1 tell

when we did

parency of the sculpture Jean Tinguely made for 10:00: Arrange paints, plastic, ladder, etc., lot

of people

corner from

all

Beaubourg

him my

price.

the

for last time.

together. Sit in cafe

He gives me

me for our trade.

and begin

the music.

say

the other

Montreux poster. Also has

day long. Immediately the ladies working

my painting complain about

It's

to paint in the

explain

and

photo

a trans-

incredible.

around

1:00 A.M.

concession around the

have permission and have

3 9

no intention of lowering

wasn't loud) or, as she suggested, "playing something

(it

French." All day long different people came to complain and then other people would explain to them that

that

was O.K. At one point

was giving her a headache.

couldn't play the music

obnoxious music

this

played until

painting was ultimately

"very French

lady''''

tried to explain to

suggested aspirin or take the day off because

wasn't going to paint.

finally

head of security with two guards.

The more

if I

they complained, the more

played the Beastie Boys and they brought the

had

a confrontation

more important than

and naturally

won, since

few distraught employees' bullshit

complaints.

The Japan ment)

Air Lines stewardesses showed up and were surprised (an understate-

me. Lots and

to see

lots

of gorgeous boys. Autographs

all

day long and giving out

a video interview

and more photos. More

buttons. Finish painting around 7:30 and

autographs. Clean up and take paint

have

Leor about Beastie Boys

call

(still

80%

of the paint

bought)

and

to hotel

He's here with E.K.

tickets.

Dinner with Pierre and Juan and then coffee with Lucio and Francois Boisrond. to Attention (gay disco) with

he opens

mouth.

his

Juan and meet

Jean-Claude (who says Boy George

in Paris)

black opera singer. He's incredible and sign a few shirts

and

ear

on hot boys. Then

says, "Later."

sequently, the

boy (Paolo) who looks

it's

this big

and

him and

coming

night, so

just

lot

of things.

lot

and

"Why don't you leave with him?" leave the club.

Con-

furiously.

Beaubourg opening. Call from Swiss magazine

about

don't want to go for that. I

met with Lucio,

MAY 17 me

find a

phone number

Andy â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I

call to invite

woke up and

him

assures

I tell

to the hotel.

me he

them

come

there to be in this movie.

TV about the show really

go see Boy George with Jean-Claude. But

Then

till

guy we came with and were presumably leaving with was not amused and

2:00 PM: Meeting with guys from Belgian

tough

see Peter Kea,

see an amazing fake shirt

We made up eventually and went home and made love

about a

really I

black guy comes over and kisses Juan on the

about the body paint job. Call from Vienna asking

talk

guy who

him and we have an argument and

Call from Nellens. They're

posed

this

his birthday.

kept picking on Juan, saying,

So, he starts to leave and

went home.

this

takes us to Kit Kat (downstairs at the Palace).

I'll

be on

in June.

Long

miss him sometimes. We're sup-

find out Jean

going to interview

to call late if they want, but they don't.

pocket

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Paul.

think this

He sounds different on

Paul and was

at Kit

Kat

last

the

guy we met

last

the phone, but he says he

night with us.

4:00

knock

at the

door and

there

Paul,

and had given me

Very funny.

his

number

We all go to Le

the black soprano

last

who

[it]

turns out

named

also

night to give to Lucio.

Palace for tea dance.

We see

and

the other Paul

doesn't

look interesting anymore. Cute boys, but boring.

dinner

time I've watched

Condo's house and watch The Shining

with George.

MONDAY, MAY

Pierre called to confirm

Lucky

Strike poster job.

Meet Leor and E.K.

me an

lunch near Beaubourg. Rain. Rain. Leor gave

tomorrow, but

Check

in at

return to

have to get the

Beaubourg

work on

from him

rest

who was

The

Hans Mayer

Beaubourg we ran

with Jean-Claude.

meantime Frederick Dayan and Jean-Claude Cigale.

All Access

and go

at their hotel

badge

for the concert

later.

to finish details. Call

sculpture. At

Palace the other night

again. That's the third

in Diisseldorf to see

when

drew on

at the

into this cute kid

meets us

our hotel and

in the

us to go see Rita Mitsouko

call to invite

kid leaves his scooter at the hotel and

all

to see Rita

Mitsoutko.

Good

show, very French! All go to the Palace and drink and dance until 3:00 AM. Kid

comes

to hotel to get his bike,

but says he has to sleep

home. Very French!

TUESDAY, MAY 19 10:00 AM: Meet Nellens and Monique Perlstein

South Africa

near Beaubourg.

shirt

Daniel Buren and

talk.

That was

Daniel Buren's work more

all

Show

the

most

the time.

at hotel to

strange.

opening. Buy fake Free

see Jenny Holzer

and

interesting thing at the show.

Each new

talk

think

Most of show

of lies. Pretentious

not) of the last 10 years,

lies. If this is

my piece

huge and weighs a ton, but

good or bad. Pop Shop

a true survey (and

it's

lies.

downstairs and outside of the exhibition.

it is all

French, so

variation gives a kind of credibility to

the validity of the investigation. Very clear, very clean,

depressing! I'm glad

and see

don't

know

is full

The

of a lot

it's

pretty

catalogue

representation in

included in the historical chronology, though, which seems

good. Finally things begin to be taken seriously, which

the

first

step toward being

understood.

lunch with Nellens and Monique Perlstein. Monique has the card from

show of drawings show

Antwerp and

not going to be a disaster.

it is

beautiful. Nellens are jealous.

hope

this

Knokke

We talk again about T-shirts, etc.

Return

to hotel

and then John

gets

and

Tony. John

call

Carmen

day Grace. Maybe she's

still

coming

Tony, so

calls

Grace on the phone so we have

we do another and Run

Beastie Boys

stage to look for E.K.,

DMC.

Get our

who

nowhere

be found. Talk

but eventually people are cooler. Thought

Gay.

It's

jacket. Talk about

didn't

lot

Grand Rex

to the

seats inside.

heard someone referring

go back-

as Keith

Everyone signs

insult, actually.

"Lower

the Flag

and Play Rocky."

Run DMC,

of audience abuse. Eventually after

and police break up the mob. Fun

around the corner and then go

and Run are there and

ies

for

DMC and Beasties. Cold at

the

return to

crowd

for Paris!

Nobody

seriously hurt.

to Palace for the "dinner." Actually

O.K.

party.

Food

seat.

in front got

out of hand and somebody (from the band?) threw mace. Mild chaos, which into street

Birth-

New York and Tokyo, etc.

Beastie Boys about to go on,

Great show.

sound

walk

door and get

tickets at the

first,

O.K. with me since

Happy

run into Louis Jammes and he

George, Mabe, Juan and

portrait.

a conference call

Belgium.

6:00 PM: to Beaubourg to meet George and Mabe. suggests

we have

a four-way conference!

spills

out

We go eat

everybody from Beast-

by E.K.

fight started

Stay a while longer to talk to French cock-teasers and return to hotel.

WEDNESDAY, MAY Picked up by a to

taxi to deliver

20 us to the Carder Foundation.

do with what Daniel Templon was saying

arrived

sculptures,

Had

and were surprised

assume

the other day about

to find out that this

has something

this

moving

was the home of one of my

favorite

Long-Term Parking by Arman. So, already the place was O.K. with me.

a great

lunch with the director of the foundation, Marie-Claude Beaud,

eral ideal locations for

said they'd rather

who

We found sev-

turned out to be a good friend ofJean-Louis Froment and equally lovable.

Had

the sculpture.

sculpture. Daniel said they are considering buying, but she

commission a piece

specifically for the site.

a nice conversation about the "Eastern"

(i.e.,

Japanese, Chinese calligraphy)

aspect of my work, the approach, method, attitude,

etc. I

think people see

pletely clearly after they realize the connection to (what

philosophic and aesthetic tradition.

oping more coherently, the more lectures).

think

always sensed

think

write it

seems obvious

my work comto

me)

a larger

ability to explain this is definitely devel-

and the more

and understood

answer questions it

intuitively,

but

(i.e., it

interviews,

is difficult

explain.

Took a

taxi

back

to hotel

and made and received phone

Swiss magazine-cover project. Find a model,

4 2

call

Azzedine

calls.

Several calls to

for suggestions, call

work on

Iman,

call

Hans

Zurich. Call

check on sculpture. George Mulder called

in Diisseldorf to

delay in James Baldwin project. Baldwin's in the hospital, project,

suggest

Debbie Arman

use

Bill

Monte

new

talk

O.K.

he's

he can't do

Burroughs. George says, "Who's William Burroughs?" Call

Carlo. Call Kermit to talk about his

having to move, having another baby, have to find

hope

storage space.

Meaning he has

etc.

No big problem. We'll

problem/my problem

to sell

find

some

money

for

art,

come

children's

Then I judge Mattel Toys.

workshop

thirty-three

from

a teenager from outer space would look

ings.

Some

There

hope out there

Went the hotel.

New

York

for the

drawings by children (6

what

hysterically funny.

him

him somehow. Also

ICA wants

in July. Probably.

the drawings sent to

One hundred

maybe, and we

about production of models for Diisseldorf sculpture. Call from London. to

to explain

like.

This was

"Spectra" contest for

concept of

to 12): their

a fun task.

Some

great draw-

picked (of course) the ones with the craziest imagination.

in the future generations.

dinner with Lucio Amelio and his boyfriend

at a

Vietnamese restaurant near

We invite his boyfriend to our room, unsuccessfully. He has a cold, he explains.

THURSDAY Take Polaroids of Beaubourg painting. Also, suggest they should put front of it, since

everywhere

Took a

little

barrier in

has already been soiled from people leaning or passing against

in exhibition to find taxi to get

photo of Necker mural.

can't find

it.

Look

it.

my portrait done by Louis Jammes. Passed a truck unloading Warhol

paintings. Louis Jammes portrait session

had the impression, can't stand me.

was

in studio of Robert

don't care about

Combas, who,

him one way or

I've

always

the other. I just don't

care. After the

photo

this

other guy arrived (sort of cute) and immediately they had to close

the curtains to

do drugs.

How boring. I can't believe they're gonna do H in front of me as if

they're

about

proud of it.

how

who works

for the

Louis walks

hardly

know

and explains how he

French embassy.

that did

to the

touch him?

Metro

says,

"He was

(that's

The

(sort of) cute

stays in

the only

to ask

and

guy

that

bragging "faggot"

ever slept with that

was

the other

fine,

take a train back to the hotel to

at Galerie

New York with a man

him what about all

They weren'tfaggots, so

station

James Brown opening

expected

these people.

He sounds so surprised. I wanted

who slept with him

what

mean,

well he speaks English

didn 't touch me."

Went

men

presume.

meet Juan.

Maeght-Lelong. Interesting show. Not

good, right?) but some great paintings. Not so sure, though. Need

another time to look. Lots of people there. More "looks" expensive.

think that's

art dealers

than

artists.

Definitely

"money

art." It

even

my market problem, my paintings don't "look" expensive.

143

FRIDAY, MAY 22 1

woman who

1:00 AM: Quick meeting with

Gysin and the problem of not

called

and wanted

him disappear. Also,

letting

to talk

works

the

all

about Brion

were

that

inherited by Bill Burroughs have to be sheltered by a foundation to avoid ridiculous

French taxation. Fault Lines, so

want

we can

however possible. Have got

to help

start to

have an exhibition of

accumulate monies toward a foundation. Brion Gysin

and William Burroughs have had incredible influence on me and provided inspiration. Brion, after

becoming my

became

friend,

kind of teacher

learned innumerable things from our conversations, but

from his "works." artists.

important that his work be available

It's

Their work gave me

had already done.

major revelation,

filling in all the

that direction without

from which

a structure

understand what

When

their

"works"

was,

Also,

sharing with

about

only, but after

was my

first

me some

He spoke

real contact

They

understand the

with "the brotherhood" of

initiated

me,

down

began

intel-

has

artists that

"brotherhood" by

in a way, into this

me, but talked

me and

artists.

way back. Brion knew

accept the fact that

as if

were also

and analogies

his assurance

all

a part of this.

historical

part of this, whether history will

or not. Many, like Brion, have been written out of history by an uninformed,

barbarically (fake intellectual) conservative, ple

of it very eloquently and, although thoroughly more intelligent

his confidence in

counterparts,

was

few weeks their

first

of the secrets and intimacies of their lives as young, gay

than me, never talked

Through

met them (and especially

a very real historical line that can be traced all the

this.

and within which

was doing.

existed through the ages.

There

much

suppose, already working in

Brion), a give-and-take of information began that helped lectual side of what

Andy).

to future generations

to build

was doing. For the

(like

think equally as

discovered their work in 1979

missing pieces.

understanding what

came through

influence

a lot of

who knew

homophobic

Brion and understood his importance

public.

It is

to the

peo-

to try to fight against his disap-

pearance.

Anyway,

this

was important ture.

The

talked with

me about

keep working because

Brion and also told

understood

how

key was in her use of the word "composition," and

means. This for

woman

that

is,

in a way,

what Brion was talking about

catalogue in Bordeaux. Beaubourg painting

tled" because he could see

she thought

"compose"

think

know what

in the introduction

is titled

(for

a pic-

she

he wrote

Brion Gysin) "Unti-

from his window.

Drive to Cartier Foundation and see Ferrari exhibition, again. Mainly came back

because Jean-Louis Froment was supposed

144

be coming up from Bordeaux, but he

never showed up. Also saw Yves Morisi, the newscaster whose jacket

French

TV during a live transmission from

Claude and Sydney Picasso and got

drew on

for

the Paris Biennale in 1985. Also, ran into

Had

with them back to Paris.

a ride

lunch

together at Cafe Trocadero.

Back

to hotel

Bastille with

Makes me want There

and drop off bags

to paint like this, but

Condo's house. Ate dinner

trating at times,

keep thinking

of logic and consistency in what

really a line

must be pursued. I'm sure

if I

paintings like this, but that's something else. lot

of people can do

for the last

two weeks. Taxi

Carlo. See apartment, take a walk

who

some

and, however frusI

could make

girls in the hotel

to airport. Fly to

who've been answering

Nice on a plane headed for

at the airport

talk to

and drive

Monte

Alberto Vencago, the pho-

has flown clown from Zurich to shoot the cover with sun-cream paint-

wants

shoot early (7:30), so

we go

bed

sleep.

U N DA

Wake up

MAY

2 4

to paint at 7:00

was not good.

AM. Photographer and model

thought they were getting a black

from Utah. She looks better without clothes. creams with

Too bad

to resist the temptation.

am doing

of people could do that, but not a

lot

on the beach and

ing for Swiss magazine tomorrow. get

have

repainted over and over

Johannesburg. Picked up by Yves and Debbie Annan

tographer,

George's.

2 3

up. Did autographs on towels for the

my phone

the other way.

SATURDAY, MAY Woke

at restaurant in

George, Mabe, Juan and Joe Glasco. Great new paintings

fingers.

This

the

first

girl,

arrive at 7:30. First impression

instead

it's

an Amazonian farm

girl

"paint" her with five colored sun-block

time I've ever painted a body with

fingers.

wasn't a boy. Alberto takes lots of photos in the apartment. Yves and Juan also

clicking away.

Then we go running

outside.

The

reaction from people

top of

great.

Lots of fat

German

tourists

after us to get pictures.

We make a "monoprint" by putting a white arrive

it.

This was,

and ask us

in fact,

to stop.

sheet on the grass and L'Ren lying on

her idea. In the middle of the print the

finish the print

and return

to Yves'

Monaco

police

apartment with the

police.

Police leave after a while.

Shoot for Sehweizer

MO N DA Y, MAY Write a

little,

2 5

take a long walk

playing soccer on beach. Call day.

Begin

make

magazine, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 1987

Illustrierte

(try to

TUESDAY, MAY

on the beach, swim with Debbie. Watch 14-year-old boys

Hans Mayer: now I don't have

make) reservations

to leave

The man

for seat covers for apartment.

to cut

in Diisseldorf till

Annan's studio

etc. Visit

Monday

reservation on train and plane to get to Diisseldorf by

saw

Mon-

2 6

Drive to Nice with Yves to go shopping,

foam

Nice Monday.

at the

Vence. Book

night.

Styrofoam place

let

Buy Styro-

use the

out some extra shapes. Small crowd of people watching. Return to Monte

Carlo. Call Julia, Tony, etc.

driving with Yves.

Tony

think

it's

still

obsessed by

wait for the next victim, like vultures.

146

I've gotten

over

had

life

a great

it. I

really don't care

and every day

AIDS

really disgusting that

Maybe

rumors.

think I'm in more danger

people have nothing better to do than

they're concerned.

don't know, in a

anymore. Life and death are inevitable.

a surprise. I'm

happy

alive today.

way

think I've

THURSDAY, MAY 28 New York to talk to Juan and found out, by accident, that Adolfo was planning a party in my studio. Called Adolfo to tell him he is not having a party and he can hand in Called

his keys

till

return. Also, trouble

FRIDAY, MAY

brewing

Pop Shop.

think

it's

definitely time to

TV calls to confirm arrival Tuesday.

make some changes. Belgian

2 9

Room for Madison, Yves and Debbie's forthcoming baby, my goddaughter. Also paint the crib and Paint the

Baby

high chair.

It's

calls

from Julia about

pretty depressing that

things falling apart. Julia really

have to

start to

Tony, Pop Shop, Studio,

the time.

all

plan a

Took

New York situation. New York without

can't leave

the only

new

one

course,

can count on.

new

strategy

(i.e.,

I'm more sure about what to

etc.).

walk

a long

beach and

sat

and

watched the sun go down. Yves

Annan and Keith Haring,

Diisseldorf,

Germany, 1988

SATURDAY, MAY 30 Go

beach. Not unlike Death in Venice. Sitting on a towel near group of boys. Very con-

tent just watching. Wrestling,

Call Jean Tinguely at

smoking, grabbing their cocks. Very sweet.

The

Hermitage, but he has checked out already. Dinner with

Yves and Debbie and then go to Drag in the

way

that

Queen Bar

most provincial gay bars are

Y 3

in Nice. Sort of boring,

but interesting

interesting.

We are on roof watching and Yves is downstairs and runs into Grace Jones and Nicolo. We all watch race from roof and Yves and Debbie have a brunch to watch the Grand Prix.

Grace comes upstairs. Race drops a whole

and run then to

pretty boring.

tray of champagne glasses.

into Patrick's (Bulgari) brother.

Jimmyz (boring disco

Monte

Most

We go We all Carlo).

years ago doing coke

only

when

the

maid

Cafe de Paris with Grace after the race to

Mexican restaurant near Nice and

Crowd

very boring. Grace runs into (Princess) Stephanie.

remember me. But why would she?

interesting thing

very old, very bourgeois and

We get re-introduced, but she doesn't

hung out one night

and dodging Rick James. Juan and

at the

Palladium two

split a half hit

of Ecstasy

4 7

Grace got from someone. She and Nicolo do one

me and Juan

Grace and Nicolo and If we

WEDNESDAY, JUNE Wake up and do

Return

apartment with Yves.

X anything might have happened.

would have done more

6:30 AM:

also.

spent night in same bed, mostly watching each other.

four drawings for Gallery 121. Get a ride to the airport in

Brussels.

Hamburg

9:30: Flight to

pictures of Luna Luna. Also,

Arrive in

(on tiny plane).

buy

Hamburg and go

to press

press conference. Gianfranco Gorgoni

Luna and

get

guy from Schweizer

out.

He leaves a copy

Magazine looks great. Call

better than

Illustrierte for

great.

New York and

copy of Stern with

Back

and have

to the hotel

also ran into

a sauna

Luna Luna

to see

who wants

a radio interview with

and swim.

New York with new shirts, etc.

a package from

Luna

Monte Carlo

says the cover with the girl from

talk to Julia.

rained almost the whole time.

lot. It

expected. Very professionally done.

who

cover.

Looks

night and then to

with Gianfranco, Kenny, Juan, a lady writing for Life, and

Italian restaurant

Gianfranco fancies

see a

here to take pictures for Life.

me at the hotel. We go

Kenny has

the plane

conferenceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; full of people. Kenny Scharf is

photographed and interviewed a

Luna Luna looks even a

copy of Actuel with Pee Wee Herman on the

a girl

me. After dinner, she

inter-

views me.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE Drive to Minister to highway, that

install

Red Dog

carrying the

10 It is still

Klaus Richter and Juan and only one crane ing considering

it is

small even though

Usually

solid steel

it is

15 feet

sculpture.

Red Dog.

and weighs

meet truck,

we manage

to install

few tons.

nose.

Amazing

there

at the

at a

truck stop along the

white, painted only with primer. it

looks really cool. is

Bacon

painting. He'll

fly

the

wants

to give

him

Warhol. Seems ridiculous to me.

Hans suggested seems more

little

fair.

and

Tony on

three drawings

The

leaving for

New

Concorde and return Friday morning

the opening of his Lichteinstein show. Talk to

seems

rains.

to try to sell a

trade.

rain in Miinster today.

Drive back to Diisseldorf and show Hans the Polaroids. Hans

York

With

ourselves. Pretty amaz-

if I

only reason

have to respect his wishes.

I'll

give

the

phone about

give

Warhol

the

Hans seven drawings

involving

him

at all is

Tony two and Hans

for

for the

because

eight, that

from Radio though,

take a bath.

less

now

than

train station

every

and

finally

Wonderboy

Somehow,

all

end up

York. I'd rather not be reminded of it. Funny,

It's

entire trip. I'm kind of proud of that in a

mean, there

really can't

word.

haven't had sex with anyone on this

funny way. Not even the

much

always enjoyed fantasy almost as

safest sex.

as reality.

only miss

Masturbation

never go out of style.

will

THURSDAY, JUNE Return

to the

whenever

At the

Red Dog. We

arrive in the rain

look for Kasper Konig.

The

stops raining. However, in Miinster one never

museum we

knows when

really

a bit disappointing.

not very explanatory and almost apologetic.

want me

that will

don't find Kasper, but see Matt Mullican and Daniel Buren.

(not catalogue) for the Sculpture Project is

it is

painters assure us they will paint

always nice to see Daniel. Everyone else around this project seems a

sculpture

and

We do some of the "grass replacement" around the sculpture and go

Landesmuseum

the rest

to Minister to supervise painting

already half painted.

be.

Germany.

street "cruising" in the "original" sense of the

Everything has changed quite dramatically.

I've

Gay Shop, an overstocked magazine shop with

amazing, the quality of sex shops

of this has gotten sort of nostalgic, though,

sometimes. But

Stars"

got out for a walk and visit the hustler bar and the

in the

ever printed.

any more anonymous sex or

TVâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; "The Night of 100

watching

ever did before on one of these long trips, and this

the longest IVe ever been away.

Juan

New

makes me miss

City. It

miss

and

to hotel

in this show.

think

them

threatens

in a

little

The

cold.

The

It's

guide

explanation for

don't honestly believe they

weird way. Everyone

always

on the defensive.

We return to Diisseldorf and I

buy some gouache and ink and

arrange to use the gallery to do the drawings for Hans.

set

up an

area near the

window

work.

The

gallery

empty, ready for the installation of the Lichtenstein show. I

1 1

drawings.

The

working

girls

sister

makes

watch

for almost the entire time.

a video.

He's a skateboarder and

small drawings for everyone that

amazed and they

invite

nice people. Afterward

Warhol

poster.

there, with ink

have dinner

at a

some

They

told

space a few weeks ago for 100

made

for her

and

a great story

and one

girl's

me and comes

in to

friends

graffiti writer.

After

on cardboard. Everyone

finish is

Manuela's apartment

a Free

about

($50) and put

happily

Japanese restaurant. Great dinner,

we buy some hash and go

has a great fake Haring her friend

and

in the gallery invite

kid from the street passing by recognizes

really

smoke. She

South Africa poster on her wall

how

they rented a street billboard

Free South Africa poster on

it. I

149

"You have people working

think that was really great. She said,

world," as

if it

was a matter of fact. And

guess

you

for

all

over the

it is.

FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Go as

9:00

to gallery at

usually the case.

I let

production, installation, I

buy

last night,

which look even

Klaus choose a drawing for helping

etc., etc.,

and brushes

the paint

drawings from

to sign the

of the for the

another

stretchers for the painting

and went

Fantasia

to see

(in

at a

one, but I'm glad.

BBD&O mural with Achenbach's assistant.

the lines of the crosswalk) in a relatively busy intersection

The

with the engineering,

Red Dog. He chose my favorite

In the middle of Diisseldorf we saw a duck cross the road

from one side of a bridge

all

(at a

red light, and between

by himself.

He was crossing

small creek. Very funny.

were

late to arrive

German). At 5:00 PM

walked around, visited Hans,

returned to

BBD&O with Juan and

helped them hang the huge (11' x 25') canvas on the walls. After some warping,

etc.,

looked

fine.

"media, communication, In two hours

went

At 6:30

etc."

better now,

difficulty

with

started a kind of loose black "outline" painting of

with several sort of cynical jokes hidden inside

and

finished, to applause,

to the gallery to see the Lichtenstein

it.

so the paint could dry overnight.

left

show of "perfect"

paintings and then went to

dinner with Hans and his wife and friends.

SATURDAY, JUNE Woke up fast

at 8:00.

Walk over

13 to

leaving a lot of white space.

never did

sort of hints of Stella scribbles

seems pleased.

has arrived, but party this lady

boring

New

finish is

decide to

fill

in the color

not in hotel.

never met. Everyone

meeting with a

would

before and

Tony was

really rather

well.

The

looks great. Very American,

talk

to gallery to leave leftover paint for Klaus.

on phone.

York people, some nice people

know he means

and Frankenthaler drips and Warhol brushwork. Everyone

We think he

like this

about 2:30 and go

some people had

arrange to meet

having for a group of people on an

outside Diisseldorf.

BBD&O to finish the painting.

and drippy instead of carefully. Sometimes painting around the preceding drips and

polite,

art tour

to cocktail

Joe Hellman and Joyce Schwartz and

commission a project

sort of over-enthusiastic artist

from the Guggenheim. Mostly

but I'm always suspicious.

man who wants

be an

Tony

than a dealer.

for his building

and took over the conversation.

was

project sounds interesting, though.

little

annoying, although

and meet Achenbach and people from

take a taxi to see the mural

have dinner. Tony freaked out over the painting and says is. I

always think the

last

thing

sion of constant improvement.

draw

learn something

do I

new and

informed than the

last.

the best

Maybe

ever did.

to it

always the best, but that would indicate a progres-

think that at the

Maybe, though,

thoroughly possible.

think every time

same time draw upon everything

why

learned before. That would explain

it is

BBD&O

each one would be better or

that's

why people

I've already

at least

old work, because

isn't

over-informed and too articulate.

MONDAY,

JUNE

9:00 AM: Flight to Geneva via Zurich.

businessmen.

are picked

He has a show in is

beautiful

Geneva.

and

eat

at the airport

Lausanne. is

it is

of boring

full

by Pierre Keller and (surprise) Francois Boisrond.

We check into hotel (Beau Rivage) and eat by the pool. Hotel

and then have a sauna

tographed looking

scheduled departure 1

hate flying at this time because

probably really beautiful when

fuck. Pierre (as usual) arrives

opening and

detest businessmen.

promptly

Francois'

Lucky

to Francois'

(private) at

it's

which turns out

Strike posters

and then

opening where we are is

on Lake

a great place to

4:00 PM for our scheduled meeting.

buy two small pencil drawings. There

me who, of course, turns

not raining since

get

released until our

meet Jean Tinguely.

a really cute kid hanging

out to be the son of the owner of the

pho-

around

gallery.

Keith Haring,

Lausanne, Switzerland,

198 7

Tinguely arrives veiy

manded by Niki de

St.

Pierre.

which makes

late,

Pierre very nervous, but he doesn't get repri-

Jean arrives with his new girlfriend and Jeffrey (the guy

Phalle in Munich). Jeffrey

in a very sophisticated way.

arranged eating very

all

but

carefully,

really fun

and

dinner

a guest of

really

the

way

at the

end of the

table,

honor so

I sit

across from Jean and

badly.

upstairs to that

me and

bed and

have very

he wants

little

cannot deposit

get to school at 8:30.

still

was

hurting really

gets a beautiful I

will.

my stomach is hurting so badly

be picked up

(Gymnase du Bugnon)

meet

feeling

Pierre.

7:45 and

The bank

have dollars from the mural in Diisseldorf.

begin immediately to do the ink drawings for the Lucky Strike

Each poster must contain the logo (drawn) of Lucky

scheduled

hurting.

my money yet.

with variations of different ideas. miserable

stomach

taken to the bank, then to school

posters.

send him some T-shirts and, of course,

middle of the night

sitting all

actual sleep.

wake up with my stomach

closed so

try to sleep. In the

TUESDAY, JUNE I

interesting except

end dinner by autographing the nametags and menus. Francis

drawing from

my glance and acknowledges

but he continually catches is

met with

of course,

at the hotel. Pierre has,

Francois and aside of Pierre and Jeffrey. Francis (the son of the gallery owner)

with a smile or raised eyebrow. Dinner

smart and sort of flamboyant

when

They

started.

actually

The

final

came out

Strike.

pretty

do nine drawings

coolâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; considering how

drawing (No. 10) was

a skeleton

smok-

ing a cigarette, which

Lucky

Strike

gave to the school to be hung in Pierre's classroom.

was not amused, but

could care

less. I

had

quick meeting with him about

Then,

the posters and, with the assistance of the students, chose four.

and made a drawing

to explain the color specs

The

designed a button for the school.

and very

interesting

Due

picked the colors

and talked about payment. Also,

students (some of them gorgeous) were pretty

interested.

complications

The man from

arrived back 15 minutes after

we were supposed

have

left

his schedule.

for Basel.

was

Pierre

moped

all

We is

the

practically

foaming

the

mouth because we had upset

the way.

arrive in Basel

and go

most impressive. Big

portrait of Jesus. It almost

some other

to the art fair opening.

brought

Meet Tony

Hans's booth, which

Andy's Last Slipper paintings, including

installation of

tears to

eyes.

Andy

looks better and better.

my see

great Warhols at Kluser's stand.

Hans has two of my new(er) the outside of the

paintings and also two of the

new drawings hanging on

booth between James Brown and Jean-Michel. They look

really great

there.

Templon has one of my I

on view, I

paintings on the outside of the booth also.

very well represented, considering the best thing

at the

also visit

most respected places, Lucio Amelio,

still

in the best

trying to convince

has to get over his Salvatore Ala hang-up.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE Wake up

really early (5:30)

up and go buy

and

The

and ink

wall

add

museum

in cafeteria [at is

as possible

do another show

in Napoli.

Lucio.

At 1:00 PM we get picked

Museum

of Contemporary Art in

ending, but some photographers arrange to

some of the paint

to the black paint for a

tion to her cafeteria.

little

Emy Tob.

on wall

very smooth and

lady working in the restaurant

him

really love

taxi to airport. Fly to Brussels.

2:30: Begin painting mural

return.

have as

paint and brushes with

Antwerp]. Press opening for

company.

more dense

is difficult. I

line. I finish

amusing, but seems genuinely

have to get pigment

mural

in five hours.

thrilled

The

by the new addi-

She keeps offering me sodas and beer and food.

take lots of

Polaroids and go to hotel to take a bath.

get picked

nice dinner

up by Monique

10:00 PM to go to dinner

and great house with great collection of art. Have

just returned from school in

Emy's house. Really

a nice talk with her son

London. Talking about media's influence on our

society

who and

5 3

Dragon House, Knokke, Belgium, 1989

between America and Europe, the

culture, the differences

interesting conversation that

future, etc., etc.

Nice

have an

challenging for a change. Talk about Alechinsky, because

they have a few of his paintings, and Japan and calligraphy and me. Nice evening and

home

to sleep.

THURSDAY, JUNE Wake up, pack and

18 Knokke.

get driven to

an old tea-room called the Penguin.

dows toward

the street

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

perfect.

It is

The

Send

telex to

really like

their

5 4

in the

house

waffles.

There

the ocean with win-

same brand

tried to

find another place (in Holland) to

stringing

a wild

the center of attention.

the

buy

paint project contract.

a country house here and kind of timeless

making

boar that Roger Nellens shot

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the biggest one he ever shot. They are skinning

garden and the kitchen

ing, or

like,

Tony about proposed

The man working the night before

see the place I'm going to use as a studio

paint they have ordered

use yesterday on the mural and didn't paint.

right aside the Casino,

while

eat lunch. It

in a way. They grow a lot of food

The

huge juicer (restaurant

helpers are always busy clean-

size) that

always has a huge bas-

ket of oranges beside

There

are so

because Roger

many

birds here

likes fresh

it is

amazing.

orange juice. I

sitting outside

Niki de St. Phalle, which has two huge sculpture people sitting at across from the etly,

Dragon house, where we and looking

listening to birds

at this

are living.

on a it

table

also.

It is really surrealistic.

made by

sitting

Writing qui-

dragon.

FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Wake

up. Fresh orange juice. Tea and rolls with fresh strawberry jelly and eggs from the

chickens in the backyard.

Make but

atic,

ten gouache drawings

still

an adventure. Lay

on handmade paper. Fun

down

since

colors one by one working

it is

all

quite system-

ten at once

and

then one by one "finish" them by adding Chinese ink.

Eat lunch.

5:00 PM: Drive is

opening with

they have

Antwerp

Gordon Matta Clark

my pieces. Also, run

opening of the retrospective.

into Jason (the kid

has the copies I'd asked for of his baby picture.

museum where

Meet

several

met when

take

did the mural.

more people who say

was on Belgian TV), who

enough

for ten drawings.

thinking of using them for collages.

We to

return to

Scharf

Tereza

from

Knokke and

eat at the Casino.

He is really adamant about his

him.

London

they'll

come

I call

Tony and we argue about my

telex

commission.

calls

and

says

here

after

Hamburg. 11:00 PM: Begin

"The

Story of Jason," a series of nine drawings with Jason's

baby pictures. This

one

of the greatest "groups" of

drawings

I've

long time. a

kind

done

turned into story

about

good/evil and Christ/antiChrist, etc.

works

like the

old series of drawings that all

refer to

each other, but

without any obvious order,

specifically.

same time and

things at once at the

much

Very

many

like the cut-ups, referring to

different times.

2:00 AM, go to sleep.

SATURDAY, JUNE 20 12:00

NOON: To

casino to begin big mural. Wall

about 14' x 50'.

do drawing with

black acrylic of detailed ''gambling scene." Big brush and pretty quickly. Very Dubuffet, or something, with a

Return

little

hint of Stuart Davis.

Dragon and

more ink drawings. Monique of a dream from

last

finish at

3:30 PM

to applause.

sign last night's drawings. Write in diary Perlstein

night about

comes

for dinner. Finish

getting caught

1 1

and

my grandmother

in her

with two boys. Also do a portrait of Grace (from Casino program cover) and a

SUNDAY, JUNE Wake up

noon. People are arriving

already feel like this

for lunch.

critics, etc.

Some

Casino

black shapes

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one

to finish

to call

was

home

since

really strange since I

happens

talked to

to invite

color inside

Fill in

all

the

them

house

come

to eat

and

Condo

call

Belgium Sunday. Also, I

did and

sister

out.

had just made the drawing of the dream with her the

my sisters, Karen and

someone who has had such

and she was lucky

upon. Sign drawings

haven't talked to them for a while so

Kristen, for a long time.

Funny, but having dealt with death up close it

the

color at a time. Very "Cobra" brushwork and very drippy. Finish

Karen told me Grandma died. They had just found

night before.

for 20: wild boar.

mural with everyone from lunch.

and Claude and Sydney Picasso

wanted

who made

Dragon looking

in the

my apartment and feel trespassed

around 9:30 with back hurting and smelling bad. Return in Paris

guy

collectors, the

Everyone

and have some trouble with the dried ink smearing. Lunch

basement

self-portrait.

canvas for the Casino mural, some drawings.

Begin

eat lunch.

drawings, including one

it is

long

not so hard to deal with

life. I

know

have had a relatively long and peaceful

she life

when

in a better place,

and

lived to see her

great-grandchildren.

MONDAY, JUNE 22 Wake up

10:00 and go to Casino to see exhibition space and organize studio. Begin to

paint Xavier Nellens's wind-surfing

5 6

sail

and then

his surfboard.

The

surfboard

Styro-

foam and

Seems

plastic.

will

make

be coated with hard like a really

paintings.

Hernandez

Call Alex

to try

confirm his

magazine of Germany wants

on me

David Neirings Arslanian

for their first issue.

Penguin studio

Paint in

it.

Telex Julia. Esquire

arrival Saturday.

big story

way

cool

want

Viken

also

visits,

Funny

visits.

day.

all

my two

that

biggest fans in the world both live in

Belgium.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Wake up At 9:00

8:00 and write in diary.

buy

drive to Holland to

brushes and then to the Penguin to start

with black

lines.

side of surfboard.

Finish underpaint

day.

all

Windsurfer, Knokke, Belgium,

While I'm painting

there's a

the hotel near the Casino.

fire in

continue painting. At the end of the day Leopold, the mayor, comes by and

out he bought the painting abstract, but

them.

want

am happy

was working on. Strange painting

likes

keep everything

paintings. At the

end of the

day,

Paint

all

day. Finish

coming by

all

It is

sad to make

don't talk

till

the

comment on

phone rang and the

rumor

that

... oil paint

these things

end of the day

Hahn

was

all

later find

drawing

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; half

and then just

sell

finish six or seven

to the

Penguin.

day. I

likes

them.

A lot of peo-

At 10:00 PM we

go to

all

finished painting so

dinner. Also, during the day the doctor

blood, X-rays,

etc.,

were normal. So

New

York

Newsday asking me

a "lady"

have AIDS.

all

got stoned after

much during

and

arrives

work, uninterrupted,

from Antwerp has visited and told

O.K.

the

all

the house for dinner. Nice dinner, except a bit spaced-out.

for myself.

the paintings. Otto

watch now.

it.

Monique cooks and brings food

WEDNESDAY, JUNE ple

1987

huge

from

was to

can't believe this could have gotten so out

of hand just from being out of New York for two months! tired

from painting and stoned and

her

was

and also assured her

fine

She kept persisting

and resumed time

at a

when

work of my

dinner.

her

to ask

to return to

They

was

assured

in the first place.

had given her more than enough of my time

mood, though.

in a weird

seems strange coming

harder than ever before and doing some of the best

especially after feeling great after having

life,

People are too anxious.

anxious

put

am working

was nervous because

sound unsure of myself.

was obnoxious of her

finally told

till I

want

didn't

can't even wait

had some doubts myself.

you're sick!

till

doesn't

make me very

New York!

THURSDAY, JUNE 25 9:00 AM: Tony arrives from ings.

New York. We go to Casino to begin to hang the large paintWe return to the house for a lunch for the press

Everything goes very quickly.

mostly

local,

but also an

people in the U.S.

AP man. I

know what

I've

Jason arrives from Antwerp by tions.

want

Also a

Return this

many

Penguin

little

man

with a

Dragon and write

things

really sick

of the selling part.

pile up.

of how

like to

much

make

It's really

them.

would make

love to just

make them, but I don't

should do,

art

etc., etc.,

and the reason

satisfying to

them, but the rest

make

is difficult. I

attitude about selling things, that

to really see

maybe

seems

the things

really artist

and

much as

by doing things

It's

had

this

make

like to sell

became an

tried, as

important that

it is

Europe

Casino

some

and begin drawings.

would

to the

not dying.

to finish press ques-

kid's pants.

said, "I

a big willy.

they should cost and what percentage

and how many reason

this

months

paintings and sign

drew him

and hardly have time

the big mural in the Casino that

and

new

for three

Everyone goes

train.

to see the willy,"

spend extra time with him because been doing

a strange feeling to

a feeling while last

show.

things and

get

sometimes get

spend thinking

and which ones

should keep

counterproductive and

was not

anti-art.

could, to take a

in public

The

for this.

really fulfilling to see people's I

make

was doing

them accumulate

let

them. All the time

response to

new position, a different

and by doing commercial things

go against the ideas of the "commodity-hype" art market. However, even these things

are co-opted

and seen by some

no way out of this

trap.

come

New

mere advertising

Once you begin

pating in the game. However, sion to

if you

to culture

salable artworks.

to sell things (anything)

refuse to sell anything

York and be

communicate and contribute

for

"public"

artist

and eventually

you

you are

fear there is

guilty of partici-

are a non-entity.

My deci-

was spurred by my desire

history.

Once I decided

ible" instead of merely entertaining myself (masturbating) with

be "vis-

paintings then

entered the game. tion

and I

integrity,

have tried as

sincere portrait

always believed that

then

much

and have

many

breaking as

if I

maintained (and

could to prove over and over that

tried to

expose the system and

people

and

really get the point,

my own I

original motivarules.

was interested

politics of the art

same time building

rules as possible while at the

stronger position as an artist in the world. Sometimes

I'm not sure

have)

could avoid being a victim and play by

in a

in a very

world by

a stronger

and

have been successful, but overall

way

it's

running on an

electric

treadmill. It is

clear

impossible to separate the activity and the result.

and pure. But

this creation

The

act of creation itself is very

immediately results in a "thing" that has a "value" that

must be reckoned with. Even the subway drawings, which were quite obviously about the "act," not the "thing," are

would-be

now

turning up, having been "rescued" from destruction by

collectors. Possibly only the

murals on cement walls that cannot be removed

and the computer drawings, which can be rearranged erations.

The problem

is I

at will, are free

making "things," and

actually enjoy

ing "things" and seeing "things" from other places and times.

but there are

new

factors involved.

The

issues have

from these consid-

have always loved own-

It is

not a

new problem,

become more complicated and

his-

tory has defined the "value" of certain things in different ways: the value of something

how much

according to

has affected change and influenced the world, and the value of

things in terms of monetary value. Also, the sense of time

and the shortness of the

moment. I

it is

hope

that

lifetime

and

selling less

will

make some advances

anything

to not sell

which things

else.

Or maybe

it is

do and which things not less

break open

doing more and more "public"

will only create a bigger

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to decide ownership and distribution â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

The

only time

game. Maybe the way

have already

dictate

make just

what

things

want

made

am happy is when I am working.

all

to interfere

with what

will

should or should not make or the time

and never have

work,

If I

make.

proceeded

ink drawings on Japanese paper. Being a

don't want the things

should work.

ten gouache-and-ink drawings little

Japanese brush on Japanese paper and like

have

wish

made I

could

about what happens to them afterward;

frustrated

and

continue drawing, produced some interesting results in the

looked

after

"make" them.

After writing this

and

produce "things." But

don't want what

how much

to think

problem

art

just stockpile everything.)

don't want to watch these "things" treated like stocks and bonds. I

continue the same way, carefully deciding

to do,

of my work. (However,

this

Japanese calligraphy.

began

tired,

last ten

and then eleven

but forcing myself to drawings.

was using

abstract drawing/writings that

switched brushes and procedures for each drawing

and the resulting eleven drawings were unpredictably Bysin, very Japanese, a bit

Condo and

and exhausted, and watch

Seventies. Finish, tired

interesting as a group. Very Brion

my original

very close to

sumi brushwork from the

o{ Re animator.

bits

FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Wake up and go

Casino

to the

hang the show. Carry

photographing and signing them.

after

insurance.

from the record company assures Return

ings.

all

discussion with

Tony and

for

Monday

night.

for

The man

should be no problem. Finish arranging paint-

drawings hung, we go over a

Tony about

the paintings from the Penguin

Prince tickets for

five

doctor to check sinuses; he says they are

and

are in place

re-confirm our request for

all

need two Polaroids each:

less swollen. After all paintings

of works for labels and pricing. Long

list

the pieces, etc. This

very difficult but,

suppose, very

important. I

Monique decide

Penguin

to the

to paint three vases:

Nellens, hoping to restore

want

to finish alone

the house with

someone

and

else.

one

faith in art

ride the bicycle

finish

for

and have

wank and

something

Somewhere, go forward, and sible.

Often

it is

it's

for

ride solemnly to the beach.

else

take a ride to

keep thinking about Martin Burgoyne

some

not sad anymore;

and two

by painting instead of pricing.

it's

Perlstein

home, so Juan and Jason

drive for a few miles, around the sand dunes.

reason, except

Monique

for

now.

herein, lies the importance of being an artist. Artists help the world

at the

same time make the

transition

difficult to isolate the actual effect

"reality": their effect

ence of "reality"

itself.

we have "been shown"

much

a part that

see as

we have been

to experience.

it is

smoother and more comprehen-

of artists on the physical world of

part of the interpretation or experi-

taught "to see" and

we experience

Each new creation becomes part of the

pretation/definition of the "thing" that will

come

next; at the

kind of summation of everything that has preceded

it.

inter-

same time becoming

This constant state of flux

a is

recorded in time by events and within events by the "things" that populate, define

and compose these events. Since he creates them, these "things" are the responsibility of the it is

artist.

They must be constructed with

care and consideration (aesthetics) since

these "things" alone that will bring "meaning" and "value" to events and conse-

quently our

lives.

artists,

don't

mean only

painters and sculptors and musicians,

writers, dramatists, dancers, etc., etc., but all forms of artists within the labor force:

carpenters, plumbers, draftsmen, cooks, florists, bricklayers, etc., etc. Every decision is,

after all,

ing, or

an aesthetic decision

imagining "things."

when you

are changing, arranging, creating, destroy-

So-called "primitive" cultures understood the importance of this concept being

applied to every aspect of their

harmony with

tence in total

This helped

lives.

meaningful exis-

to create a very rich,

the physical "reality" of the world.

Contemporary man, with

and progress, hopelessly con-

his blind faith in science

fused by the politics of money and greed and abuse of power, deluded by what appears to

be his "control" of "the situation,"

etc., etc., believes in his

ronment and other animals. He has

lost

Most

touch with his

own

and suited

religions are so hypocritically outdated,

"superiority" over his envi-

sense of purpose or meaning. fit

the particular problems of

have no power to provide liberation and freedom, and no power to

earlier times, that they

"meaning" beyond an empty metaphor or moral code. This lack of meaning

give

in the "things" themselves than the ideas

explain these "things."

These "things" are

and thoughts we use

lies

and

to describe

part of a cyclical pattern, since they are used to

explain other "things," and they are the results of ideas that manipulate other "things"

and they are the source of and the object.

That

enhance)

this

that this cycle

why

result of thoughts

so difficult

it is

and

and so important

ideas.

They are both

subject and

for artists to interfere with (and

ongoing cycle of meaning and metaphor, subject and object.

The

becomes enriched, and hence more

and meaningful,

fruitful

way

only

through the

insertion of aesthetic manipulation.

As new "things" are

new

ideas

and newer "things." Time marches on

important

this is

artists

to these

not

all airtight,

of an

feel

artist

become

the "interpreta-

but the basic idea

right.

Art

important, and

(respected ideas) are important because their ideas and creations are

widely discussed and dispersed. boggling.

that will

"things" will also be the source of new thoughts and

and "response"

I'm sure

and ideas

created, the thoughts

tion"

it is

my duty to

should be,

The

responsibility that carries with

spend the

of my

rest

be situated so that

life

it is,

for

in total

me, mind-

what the

role

harmony with myself and

the

trying to understand

My other responsibility is to make these discoveries known, to ity, through my work, (i.e., the "things" I create).

world.

the best of my abil-

SATURDAY, JUNE 27 I

sign the edition of prints. Alex arrives at 8:05 in Brussels. Juan goes to pick

the airport.

have an interview for

shirt, pants, coat, hat, etc., for

lunch. Another talk with

package deal. assures

It is

will

Tony

at the

tomorrow. to

Penguin while

finish

hanging the

go over prices and

very hard to determine.

be given an itemized

list

agree

rest

him up

painting Monique's

of the

how much I want

show and

in case they

eat

on everything one by one, and he

of works and amounts

will receive. Several

and more

the pieces are already sold

When I come

to the beach.

collectors are arriving.

take another long bike ride

back Pierre has arrived with Francois Boisrond.

has the

proofs and contract from Lucky Strike. Everything looks great except, of course, they don't want to use the one with the lady (pseudo-Picasso) smoking a cigarette because

it is

"too strong."

want

look

20 minutes,

me, or maybe

why.

show

quietly,

between

a cross

very adamant that

so you should keep doing

like this."

(Pop Shop)

Bird.

Anyway,

really bright

it.

that

think of

said, "You're the only

while

it,

him

jokingly told

should hire him

manager may not be a bad

a 13-year-old

He was

idea.

a great conversation.

arrives with his wife

of T-shirts, so

hand and we had

got to

them

Templon

and baby. The Dragon

had

and says Daniel

arrives is full

problem with the ink on the

and are giving them away. As always,

for cost

the way, also.

up on

batch

out of

A lot of

The

friends

New

York City yesterday

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; crazy! The two girlfriends we met in Diisseldorf drove

Jan Erik and

his friends

I've

Patricia (tattoo)

met

in the last

a friend

and

was

from Amsterdam. Plus, everyone

like a

tables set

wedding

and then homemade mousse and homemade sorbet and lots

party.

There was

around the lawn;

cooks; three-course meal with cold salmon and then hot

There were

all

from Amsterdam. Helena with her new husband,

and

month.

the lawn (in case of rain)

the Dragon.

first

this got

Knokke today

from Amsterdam.

gium who

his

put the remaining ones away. People came from everywhere.

from Hans Mayer gallery and Hans himself. Hans was just

and came

girl-

of kids and people grab-

have met during the past two months in Europe came for lunch.

up. People are already arriving. Jean Tinguely with Jeffrey Deitch and Jean's

friends

less this,

France and the unavailability of my things

visibility in

bing their free T-shirts from the boxes.

6 2

and spend

JUNE 28

way. Later he

style,

one who can do

Other people can paint the other way, but nobody can paint

also discussed

and we had

style.

friend with dog. Marie Francoise from Daniel

set

he's real shy but eventually

and they had come

should continue the bold, simple

in Paris. After talking a

Now

manager.

Wake

inside. After

looks like a cuter, younger version of

the son of a collector from Paris

He was

and go

get the key

who

me and Tweety

time on the "newer," more intricate

with no people.

comes

all the way for my We talked a while. He had very strong opinions about which work he preferred and

explains he

show.

at the

this kid (Baptiste Lignel)

ham and

ice

in Bel-

huge

tent

several waiters

and

spinach and potatoes

cream.

of kids playing everywhere; kids on the trampoline, kids drawing in

The lunch went from

1:00 to 5:00.

The weather was

incredible.

was the

Mural, Casino Knokke< Knokke, Belgium*

had seen since

was almost too warm!

warmest, sunniest day

seemed

beginning of summer. Everyone was in good

like the official

with each other. Klaus Richter brought

one was wearing the T-shirts and having Casino

Belgium.

trip to

little

painting that

a great time.

was already exhausted. At the Casino we had

the time

spirits

and mingling

really beautiful. it

1987

was time

Every-

to the

of the big

to first stand in front

mural while people made speeches in Flemish and French and then in English (the mayor).

Then Roger made

music begin,"

Nobody was opened It

mad

the

a nice

speech in English and ended by saying, "Let the started blaring through the

allowed to enter the exhibition

show by walking

was pretty amazing;

yet.

Everyone had

mayor and

into the exhibit with the

never did

was

this before. It

to wait

sound system. till

I officially

a glass of beer.

a great "opening."

There was

rush of people into the exhibition space, but mostly toward me. Everyone that had

heard about

my "signing" in Antwerp had

a reputation for signing things,

problem. lose

little

which time Rita Mitsouko

don't

mind doing

returned with more things. Since

people expect

when

choose

me to

do it,

it.

but

have, now,

This can become a

when

feel

bit

forced to

of a it, I

my patience very quickly. Many people really become quite rude if you explain you'd

rather talk to your guests traveled quite a long

annoyed

after a

and not sign

way

to see

their shirt(s).

me, and

really

There were wanted

while and simply refused to sign any

a lot of people

to talk to

things.

them.

who had was very

The problem

is,

there

always an exception: the person you really have to sign for (a friend, a patron, a child,

etc.)

and

soon

you sign

MONDAY, JUNE I

woke

and had

late

tea

this

and

all

come running.

the others

2 9

and

breakfast.

magazine since they had come interesting

one exception,

intelligent, so

was

had promised an interview with German Esquire

the

all

way

for the opening.

a very easy

and engaging

The

interviewer was quite

interview.

When people are

understanding everything you're talking about and inspiring deeper conversations,

talk for hours.

little

make any decisions

walk back

She doesn't

to the

liked the

her houses in

drive to

show and

decided

need

to think

talked a

about

to begin.

galas,

but wanted

St. Phalle,

to see the exhibit

who and

has

to find

Antwerp

out the

name of our

get the tickets

and passes, which

for

my show.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 15 years.

been here I

would

love to visit

hotel for tomorrow.

door

to get the tickets at the

come

also see people living in

it's

interested in trading something sometime.

London

Italy. I call

Antwerp and

can

we were running out

"video shorts" project.

has really lived there for the entire time

to leave early to drive to

We have We

for the Prince concert.

are actually just souvenirs, since

can't go backstage with them.

Prince was incredible.

was

the Palladium in 1981 or '82. tight, really sexy,

I've

but had to end because

to discuss the

house and run into Niki de

opening

Nobody

her Dragon.

you

talk,

and exchanged addresses and numbers, and

before

She

had a nice long

which the man was here

tape. Besides

been

in the

and

impressed.

The whole show

good.

really

papers and

really

lot

was

a big

(lights, sets,

change since costumes,

etc.)

saw him

was

really

of people in the audience recognized me, since

TV here lately, and asked for autographs.

TUESDAY, JUNE 30 Wake up to

late.

Meet with Tony quickly about

London at 5:00. Clean up

the Dragon,

final

money arrangements. Arrange

which looks and

feels like

we've been living in

for a year.

We take the car to drive to Brussels and leave it at the airport

London.

seems London

we're stuck in this

42nd

"chock-a-block"

Street fleabag hotel.

full

So,

(exactly the

6 4

been dying

we go

to see the

see the movie

same

time).

and

till

see a theatre that

return from

of tourists for Wimbledon,

Your Ears, the movie about Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell. Since diaries, I've

a flight

etc.,

showing Prick Up I've

read Orion's

movie, and what better place than London! it's

really

greatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; hilarious and

tragic at the

same time

After the movie

Heaven

They

open.

is still

ask two queens in the theatre about gay discos and

remember

is.

We go out and walk around a little and We take a taxi to Heaven. It is

Disgusting food. Very English.

eat at a gross steak house.

almost the same as

us where Heaven

tell

ask

it,

big and gay.

hang

me and

out, sort of bored, until

Alex notice these two guys cruising Juan. They're sort of cute in an old sort of way. Muscular,

but a

them.

They

suggest a tour of London.

drive

around

is,

we decide

to talk to

and smoke some hash.

little

for their physique,

and we become

little

interested.

After

So we

idea.

dismal the rest of the scene

which accounts

turns out they are strippers,

how

seeing

bit tired. After

suggest a striptease at our hotel, they quickly agree that

finally

all

sun comes up (one hour

until the

it is

our fleabag hotel, push the double beds together, and have

said they couldn't stay,

later).

We ask them

and the cuter one

gives us an

we can

to leave so

good

safe sex

sleep, since they

8"x 10" glossy of himself from

his

audition book.

Sort of amusing for

we've had on

London and even more amusing considering

this trip so far,

this is the

only sex

besides with ourselves, of course.

WEDNESDAY, JULY

Check out of hotel and go

ICA. See the show, "Comic Iconoclasm." Lots of inter-

to the

something

esting pieces in the show, but

the exhibition space

muddled by idea

many

too

would be more

eat

itself: it

inferior pieces. If it

clear.

Maybe

missing.

just doesn't work.

The

were more selective

The show makes

the idea look a bit

show

great,

but

it is

think the strength of the

trivial.

lunch and prepare the room for the workshop. Apparently they are only

expecting about 20 kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; hardly worth a trip to London. But

and

has something to do with

idea of the

few groupies.

quick interview for the

ICA

turns out O.K. Nice kids

video.

catch a plane back to

Brussels at 7:00.

SUNDAY, JULY Wake up

late.

seven drawings

owe Roger:

did four vases. Three for think

if I

because

Lots of people around the house. Spend the early afternoon drawing.

cover soaks

including one for

kind of series about

Monique and one

with something

really fast

Bo and one

Emy.

should be O.K.

and makes

for the

for

a line like

widow

did

Then

used ink instead of acryllic, but

butterflies,

It is

cocoons, and birth.

great using ink

on paper.

of Herge, the guy

terra-cotta

do some more drawings,

who drew Tin-Tin. I

did

drawing

Tin-Tin on a dolphin,

for her of

with red polka dots. I

return to the Surf Club to paint the back-

ground of the wall

volunteered to do.

They

have "containers" on the beach for storing

The

equipment.

of one container

side

approximtely 8' x 25'

and

painting. Xavier scraped

perfect for

and sanded

and

rolled

a white primer. After hanging out

return to the house for dinner.

Sign some posters for

work

in the house.

immediately

The sun

This

beach.

really

hat.

really

hot and

The audience summer:

only miss Avenue

graphs on

maran boat.

shirts, shorts, helmets, etc., etc.

ride, this time

take the helm.

They organized

shorts.

surfers at the

One

and do auto-

with Harry-Michel on another cata-

much wind,

but fun to be in control of the

great.

drawn on them. Dominican kid

can't stop smiling

and

Sun

sets at

back again,

11:00 PM. Lots

still

wearing

little

Huge

bot-

can't stop "rapping." Really fun barbecue.

of champagne for me. Really nice guys. Bruce Weber would love

Make

here.

ten gouache-and-ink drawings. All the drawings at the Casino are sold, so I'm

making some more before

6 6

Then I go

wear

D a little bit. There

take lots of Polaroids of surfers

barbecue on the beach. Really

stuff

TUESDAY, JULY

Not

fin-

We return to the beach and dismantle the sails and put away the boat. More photos.

more people want

tle

Dominican.

incredi-

are even Spanish-looking people here. is

begin mural and

crowd. By the time

attract a

sunblock and a ble.

who

applause, there are 50-60 people

watching.

Haring painting vases.

the people

all

Head toward Surf Club

out waiting for wind.

ish,

Lots of gorgeous surfers hanging

start wall.

particularly cute kid says he

awhile

MONDAY, JULY

Antwerp, Belgium, 1987

leave to refuel the supply.

also

talked into doing two

small paintings.

but

somehow when

esting results, so

about

it.

work, so

Even

why

it's

little

tired of working,

force myself I get inter-

hard not

be curious

I'm tired of working

not? Really, what else

after all?

The

come

photograph

can

there,

wife of Roger's assistant has

me working on

these

two paintings and brought with her two twin boys about seven years old.

really cute

So somehow, with them watching me

paint,

both the paintings turned out to be about

Should be interesting

two's, or twins. tures. Since

pic-

have already promised

it,

paint the huge vase that Tinguely did the

"holder" for in the backyard.

brush and

use a big

goes pretty quickly. Haring vase

base by Jean Tinguely,

Knokke. Belgium.] 98

WE D N E S DAY, JULY A lot

come by

of kids

many

attract so

kids

and say goodbye and

cute boys, but

drawings.

to visit

keeps the scenery interesting.

come by with skateboards

backyard. Eat another fabulous lunch by Roger. refrigerator for

picked up.

Roger with

by Roger

last time.

me. Luckily I

this

some more

doesn't

hope I'm never

last long,

satisfied.

Wake up and

Have

finish packing. car.

maybe

on the

buy

a sack for the stuff I've

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; banana

magazine

it's

all faith

good

summer.

duck. Also fresh calamari calls to say the

Luna Luna

to visit the exhibition at the

and everything looks

happens 'cause

to strive for

like shit

pushes

improvement.

a last fresh-squeezed orange-juice Nellens breakfast

drive to Paris with

lunch in Niki's backyard.

lose

You always have

THURSDAY, JULY and load the

group of ink

final

a big three-eyed face painting

cjuestions.

Funny how sometimes

in the

and go with him

eat another concoction

delayed, and to ask

Casino one

further.

do my

know why

don't

on the trampoline

to sign. Play

this afternoon, the best I've ever eaten. Life

article is

oil paint,

drive to the Surf Club for goodbyes, promising to return next

At the house caught

get shirts signed.

Roger and Monique

tour the house

and

studio.

to visit Niki.

It's full

So we have

of her and Jean's

stuff.

talk

about

book she

did.

of things and she gives

a lot

She

also wants to design rubbers

a lot of books, including the

and

I tell

sibilities in

America and Japan since she's had no luck

of a doctor

who

tal

a big

AIDS

America.

specialist in

treatment for those with positive diagnosis I

feel

live longer.

optimistic after being in

think

could have

I'll

also get the

to investigate

AIDS

not have actual

It's really

incredible

yet.

good idea

and be very productive. Niki takes us

think

might be

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; huge and actually has movable parts.

Disneyland. You can walk inside of it and climb

stairs all

and an apartment

inside. I've seen pictures of

Liiggenbuhl's son told nale in '85.

me about

She also takes us

really old (medieval) castle

through

to see Jean's

it.

and have wanted

we were working

while

name

experimen-

the forest near her house to see the "head" Jean and others have been working

15 years.

AIDS

investigate the pos-

Europe.

want

who do

Europe and

a great future

her

It's It

for

better than

has a theatre

to see

since

together at the Paris Bien-

house where she used

with sheep running around outside.

to live also. It is a

house and meet Marcel Duchamp's step-daughter-in-law, who

return to Niki's also Matisse's

granddaughter.

SATURDAY, JULY Taxi to airport. Concorde to

11 New York.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER

1987

13,

We're boarding Flight 002 leaving Kansas City for La Guardia Airport.

We just

left

William Burroughs's friend's house outside of Lawrence, Kansas, where we were shooting guns.

It's

the

first

time

ever shot a handgun.

arrived here Friday afternoon after traveling back to

Friday morning from Kutztown.

my home

had

my preview of the

first

town, Kutztown, Pennsylvania, on Thursday night.

painting retrospective, 1981-87, at James Carroll's studio on

The opening was I

autographed posters

line

a pretty for

New

York City by bus on

exhibition I've ever had in

We hung the Main

funny thing. There was a phenomenal amount of people.

about two and a half hours non-stop. There was a constant

of people for the entire opening,

many

college students, mostly female.

and Mandy came and some uncles, aunts and cousins. Some school with kids.

Some town people and

There were reporters from

6 ÂŤ

the

My grandma

friends,

grown-up

old teachers from elementary and high school.

one cousin came with an adorable friend

show, a small

Street.

didn't even have time to shake hands with.

Reading Eagle, Morning Call and the

local paper, the

Shooting with William Burroughs,

Laurence, Kansas, I9H7

Patriot.

group of barefoot surf-looking cute kids

brought

quickly gave

Gumby

him

(six-foot)

a huge,

mounted

autograph.

penis.

mother

liked that.

There was

also a

bunch of

really cute little kids

who wanted drawings and autographs. and more hectic than

really fun

The

7:00 dio,

New

and caught

York

City,

was

all it

expected.

we took

following morning

All in

bus

a Bieber

took a subway to the stu-

La Guardia.

a taxi to

arrived in Kansas City

and were picked up

the airport at 3:30. After a short tour of Kansas City

we headed

Lawrence.

The

first

arrived

was Matt Dillon. He's

movie.

person

saw

Lawrence shooting

heard local "Matt Dillon stories" for the

we were

next two days while

seduction of local teenage

here. Mostly about his

girls (true

or false),

who

cares?

Talking to Matt in the corner and Jim Carroll,

who was on our

flight,

turns the corner and It's

and Anne Waldman.

someone

yells,

car

"Hey, Keith!"

Allen Ginsberg arriving for the opening of his

photo exhibit down the he walks

kiss Allen,

street.

me through

to the

the show.

Some pho-

tographers and video crews, including a

photographer from Stern Start

meeting local

home

who

college

German

know from

students.

show,

Area.

Turns out

Lawrence

pretty hip

campus. Lots of art boys hanging around.

Someone ing

the

of University of Kansas.

in the gallery asks

on the

front sidewalk.

for Allen. Allen writes

oblige,

a chalk

It's

draw-

doing a drawing

an adjoining haiku

go with

the drawing.

6 9

Keith Haring, Lawrence, Kansas.

19H7

"Taking pictures of the sky

Naked on

The

the sidewalk

flasher rises in Kansas."

-Allen Ginsberg, Sept.

Immediately

after the

This was

washed away part of the

chalk, but

Timrny Leary and Barbara have

came without Barbara.

was

We go with at their

kitchen.

arrived yet.

the kids to see Lucifer, an

house

for

still

next morning

found

visible.

They

to the hotel to

haven't.

abandoned

fiat

after a fire several years ago.

some

We see Jim Carroll Timmy in bar.

later to see

The

smoke pot and

smoke.

Timmy

see

calls,

We agree to meet later for a drink.

Scary place. Abandoned

being

it.

my first collaboration with Allen.

Me and Juan get a ride with some college art boys

fiti.

1987

photographers finished snapping, the gallery ladies were

already running around talking about "preserving"

polyurethaned.

1 1,

beer.

They had

a Free

read and leave again.

house covered with

local graf-

to the reading late, after

South Africa poster hanging

Run

into

John Giorno. Back

in their

to hotel

Next day we plan

in search of

enough time before Timmy's autograph

it,

from the Dead Kennedys, poster by Geiger (the

Unbelievable the images

there

story.

offered

who

stories

American

art."

computers was

not

some of

wonder

Timmy's rambling

painted some stuff on

be refinished soon.

We get to

it.

little

to find the

"Howl" and sang two fun Nova Convention

talked for about a half hour.

songs. This

full

some naked except

the

first

will

and

with

spray-

probably need

great as usual.

treat),

and Allen read

time I've seen a group like this since the

life. I

got the feeling that this

timeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; not only

my life, but

of "historical moments." Conversations with Allen and

for towels,

Tim,

running

Allen, several art boys

to the pool,

Powerful moment. Met a guy from Detroit

told

tell

party afterward were invigorating.

Sitting in a hall in the hotel with

tav Klimt.

Warfare"

Then I went

found

Giorno

reading. John

good, too. William was William (always a

The weekend was

at the hotel

finally

bad shape and

event was happening at an equally powerful and important in history.

Germ

the painted boards will turn up.

1979. Nova Convention changed

audience as the

to the

Political-Biological

skateboard ramp.

Unfortunately the ramp

wonder where

really

too paranoid (can you blame her?) to

Liberty Hall in time for the 9:00

Anne Waldman was

by comparison, but

slightly tired

afterward to discuss her findings (top secret) about

much, 'cause she didn't know me, but we

who

pretty scary.

etc., are

and introduced

was wearing the "Aids

She was

Juan and two college kids

party.

offer to

preceded by Jello Biafra

was nothing compared

about the search,

interesting ideas,

Some woman came up

Anne

and

designed Alien) that depicted various cocks and asses.

from drugs

some

the probable cover-up.

street

has just been cleared in an obscenity case in L.A. over a

read a lot of provocative material and was really impressive.

"future of shirt.

me. Timmy's lecture

poster, inserted in the record,

The

see a girl with

it's

T-shirt

any possibility of me being singled out.

lecture about everything great.

who

artist

The

have created.

lecture.

but she doesn't believe

skateboard hangout. After breakfast there

an interesting story about an

looked

who had come

a "serious" lecture

college students,

like a college

dormitory

with Jack Kerouac's wife

art history class lecture

Another kid from Berlin had heard

and

comparing

about

Gus-

me two weeks ear-

lier in Berlin.

Gave out some of the AIDS cock-teaser

who was

rapping

This kid has serious problems. Mostly college kids, confused

Woke

shirts to Jello

We moved

art

and the others. There was a 15-year-old

everyone but making out with a 50-year-old bull dyke.

boys, etc.

the remaining party to our

(me and Juan) went

12:00 and went to William's house.

room about

to sleep at

4:30.

6:00 AM.

talked about the paintings

drawings he's working on. Shooting boards with paint cans on them and pictures.

and

Some

Skateboard ra nip .

Lawrence, Kansas, 198 7

pretty interesting ones.

Smoked arrived.

Brion's drawings.

who

Patricia,

drive out to William's friend's house to shoot guns.

More people

down from

drove

AIDS,

said

goodbyes

all

around and off to the

Last night during William's reading he mentioned the

He had a copy of the same poster I As

usual, there

just sort of

fell

was

in place

a lot of this

without any

AIDS

"cosmic coincidence" around

The "magic"

very

Amazon,

airport.

paper about germ war-

took the caption off of for

effort.

Iowa.

shot a handgun. Sort of

guess, but too boring to shoot at targets. Talked to William about the

talked to John about

fare.

much

the gunshots look so

Matt Dillon, Jim Carroll, Terry Toye and

Most of us fun,

Funny how

a joint with William to aid in "seeing stuff in the paintings."

my shirt. this

real.

weekend. Things

Someone was

dis-

cussing healing in the car today and said something about the only healing that will help the

AIDS

virus

"magic," holistic medicine, visualization, psycho-medicine,

my generation will

be able to carry on the "magic" that

vated and gently tried to teach us.

They have

this

etc. I

hope

previous generation has exca-

liberated a part of us that

too important to

be dismissed and passed over. As the gems of our era (founding fathers) disappear,

Brum and Andy, etc., it becomes their

and use

increasingly important to keep the fires burning

knowledge and experience

prepare the present and forthcoming generations for

the world they are about to inherit.

For that reason and a thousand more stone in

my life.

I'm happy I'm

OCTOBER

When

the Tricknlmladen studio to start

The

It's

the

first

arrived yesterday

most of which

"real things." It's nice to

be back

working on the animation.

invented

had

to teach children

when

home

safety.

funny to see

film. It's

was ten or eleven years

developing

to start

about

house of Rolf Baechler where

in the

and then went

slept a while

my "cartoon" characters for an animated

time I'm using

these characters,

one-minute spots are designed

six

important stepping

a very

1987

I'm on a train leaving Zurich.

characters.

weekend was

this

here.

old, turn into

did

first real

animation three years ago for the store here called BIG. This time I'm sort of the art director

and designer instead of having

Rolf and Yunia's kids are

grown. Actually, last

that's

year in Montreux

and giggling

all

not true.

Their father

a lot.

but they can't help

it.

when I was is

real

how

all

Speaking of families: I'm loud. I've got a tape that the Paradise

something

sitting in

little girl,

member

who

down and

giggles even

saw them

over

all

act normal,

seem

forever.

train car so

I'm playing

called Paradise Lost.

Every time

kind of family.

everything was going just

The

last

radio real

hasn't sunk in

hear a song that

"Garage

something about just knowing

my return.

the worst heartache

fine. It's like

fact, I

heaven

...

ever

felt. It's like

when Andy and Bobby

Bobby can go

there now.

night was pretty incredible but not as sad as

were sort of numb.

often scheduled It

my was

A tribe. Maybe I should open a club, but I really don't want to deal

with that headache. This

Garage has moved

the

out of New York City. There was always

when I was

forward to immediately upon

It still

around the Garage, leaving on Sundays and returning before or on Saturdays.

really a

you touch her

them three years ago.

can't explain exactly why, but

a comfort, especially

to look

time, but

first

can't stop climbing

of the family. Again, they told

I left

an empty

made me

Garage has closed I

They

over the world.

that Junior

get real emotional.

was there was

trips

been three years and they've

It's

always trying to get them to calm

Especially Serafma, the

families

little

me.

met them three years ago the

the kids cried for three days after

adopting these

song,"

the drawings.

all

to see

at the jazz festival.

with one finger! I'm sort of an honorary story of

happy

It's

just so weird

knowing

losing a lover

died.

Maybe

That would be thought

when

Paradise

nice.

would

be. People

that you're not going to see a lot of these

7 3

x wÂťÂŤ

people again. There were a even spoke

whole

to the

lot

" / "/,

of people

five years

went

only used to see there, a there, but

shared something with them. Grace came for a

Levan played because

The

night and

all

had work

last

the next day

all

do Monday morning

till

little

after

had

never

'cause

The mural

Burroughs,

midnight

to leave at

to prepare for this trip to

Bill

of them

while, but didn't stay long. Larry

midnight.

couple of weeks have been really hectic.

City Kids, and then a trip to Kansas to see

lot

"know" them

I feel like I

Europe.

in Philadelphia

to Detroit for

with

an installation

Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Cranbrook was pretty had 16-foot-high

cool.

did probably

and the walls were 35

ceilings

best painting to date!

feet long.

did a

fast

The room

Gysinesque

color "calligraffiti" background with big Chinese brushes and then the next day

painted with Japanese brushes with black (ink/paint mix) with different size lines and brushes. Each brush

used was nailed

brushes looked so cool

after

with no materials and decided what

brushes with Cranbrook

money

seemed

since this

was

temporary

somehow

the brushes themselves. will

be repainted I

took

part of my

Kwong work

like a

installation, to sacrifice

The whole

was

them

seemed

chance

idea.

after seeing the space.

The

line.

good

that weren't very expensive

usable after the abusive painting of the color, so

with brushes, so

end of a

to the wall at the

using them that

big Chinese I

went there

bought

all

these

and weren't very

like a

good idea and

re-

also,

experiment. I'm obsessed

was

to the painting

kind of homage to

thing was a kind of sacrifice anyway.

The room

one month.

along to take pictures. Photography has become such an important

since so

much

of it

temporary.

It is, after all,

the

phenomena of photog-

raphy and video that have made the international phenomenon of Keith Haring possible.

How else would everyone in tion about art

the world have plugged into

information? Most informa-

conveyed through pictures now. Sometimes

that's deceptive,

but in

Mural, Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan,

case

it is

the

but almost

means and

the end.

Of course,

of the other information

all

My lecture at Cranbrook was packed. A lot of people there, in Many people came from Cranbrook.

Somehow

hear a tape of the

talk.

the

the effect of scale

lost in

photo depiction.

transferable.

probably the best fact

1987

I've ever

done.

The

auditorium was

most of them, were not Cranbrook

art students.

Detroit and a lot of kids from the private middle schools at

words just flowed and

Mobs

was pretty

articulate.

I'm anxious to

My patience was

even

said she got at the Tate in

Lon-

of people afterward for autographs.

longer than usual.

Some don.

girl

It's really

brought a poster for funny

me how

all

to sign

these

which she

museums

tions of my art, but refuse to exhibit, collect or even

bet they didn't

sell

Peter

sell

acknowledge

within the

museum.

Max in art museum bookshops ever. They want to play with me,

but they don't have the balls to stand up and support wait and be patient.

poster and postcard reproduc-

should be glad,

suppose, that

me I

now. Wait, everyone says, just

still

outside of their accep-

tance. It gives

mean I'm

avant-garde? Ha-ha, just kidding.

still

a kind of

me something

freedom and gives

shallow as to worry about whether one person,

power or

entire culture, then

and investment

collecting to

good or not?

their taste

bullshit at that level. Saatchi parasitic,

only time

remains pure

when you

etary

compensation or when you do

draw

in public, the autograph-seekers are

in this vast

How

are doing

there

wish is

good job of it so

could keep a diary in

much going on

Re-reading

this last

of working with children. cerity that

that

page

of the

banking

art

market

naive of

now and

mon-

Even now, when

sometimes motivated by the hope

this thing

"reality."

public level without

at a real

totally for yourself in seclusion.

however, impossible to go backwards. I'm in

The

is try-

taste

chaos of business and

nature will be "worth" something instead of simply because they like

think I'm doing a

someone

all. It's all

a bank.

this

are so

How can

or not.

and standardize the

might as well be

Does

corrupt organizations in the world, next to the

was an island of "purity"

art

In fact,

Catholic church or the justice system in the United States.

even think that

The

against.

some people

think they are the most suspicious suspects of

one of the most dangerous,

Roman

impose

work

like Saatchi, collects

one person be an important determiner of what ing to use their

can't believe that

that

or admire

I've got to deal

sig-

It is,

it.

with

it. I

far.

New York City;

seems

am so busy in New York, and

never have time to think about

it,

let

alone write

down.

have to add the possibility of purity during the moments

When I do

drawings with or for children, there

seems honest and pure. Admittedly, even some children keep

because they are told "they might be worth something

later."

a level of sin-

their

autographs

But most of them keep them

because they love them.

OCTOBER I'm back on the

picked

me up

train.

1987 What

a fucking day!

at the train [in

Twenty-four hours seemed

Lausanne] and we went directly

like a

week. Pierre

lunch with Mrs. Rivolta

of the gallery and her 16-year-old, Francis.

This was the same fancy

man

of the

lift

when he

little

restaurant that mistook Jean Tinguely for the repair-

arrived in his coveralls.

was wearing

prominently displaying the cartoon "Willie." Needless Pierre

Dolce

shirts, etc.

7 6

Pop Shop

New

York.

They look

Vita, the nightclub that has utilized

helped myself

York immediately.

"safe sex" sweatshirt

heads turned.

had with him 50 samples of the "condom button-boxes"

in Switzerland for the

visited

to say,

that

great. After

"wine

I'm producing

lunch

two packs of stickers and requested T-shirts sent

had another quite small

quickly

label design" for stickers, T-

glass of Swiss white wine.

By now

New I

was

Now

already buzzed from die wine at lunch.

high school where Pierre teaches, which

wanting

Pierre, never

a quick trip to

Miyake,

appear

chairs for a chair

etc. I

Magazine, Der Spiegel,

the

works

magazines

in only distinguished

Remy

The

etc.).

new ad agency

well

umphantly and

enough

that

much, sometimes. However, he

in.

Pierre has got

the time

hotels I've ever stayed in.

now

ing

Shriver,

One from Julia

New

who

shooting "personality

far,

done Godard,

sitting

Issey

and the photo

Domus,New

(i.e.,

for the advertising is

will

York Times

agency that iiwited

an amusing con-

seems they both have taken responsibility

the shooting. Pierre, of course, wins I

for tri-

love Pierre, but he can be a

often correct in his attacks.

We go

to the hotel to

check

Beau Rivage Palace, one of the most beautiful

at the

have two telexes waiting for

explaining everything that

York. Another

here with his girlfriend. Apparently he

getting close for the opening.

room

doing the chair campaign. There

persuade

bit

in.

over the world

quite pleased, not unlike a spoiled child.

Now it seems

who

has, so

shooting goes great.

between Pierre and Remy.

knowing me

chic.

animation in Zurich three years ago,

for a

check

all

guy who worked

Fabricant, the

first

frontation

company. Very

be paid 5,000 Swiss francs for a 10-minute

the

of beautiful boys.

full

waste an opportunity to work (three cheers for Pierre!), has

arranged a photo shoot with a quite famous photographer portraits"

Gymnase du Bugnon,

seams

splitting at the

happen-

from Eunice Kennedy

^ M速K

chairperson of the Special Olympics, thanking

for the cover

did for their Christmas record, currently

being released, and asking permission to use the image for

Why

not? Sure, Eunice, go ahead!

their

Christmas card.

Julia

and have her confirm

Everything seems O.K. in

We gallery

fits

by phone

The show

looks nice.

There

just perfectly.

becomes overwhelming.

shirts, pants, shoes, etc., for

prints.

The

gallery has

sign also. For

about two hours.

made

a nice

It's

a small

are several

people, mostly Pierre's students, waiting for me. increases, but never

in the universe.

do drawings on

Many people buy

announcement card

young

The crowd

some reason Switzerland produces some

most beautiful boys

call

New York.

to the opening.

and everything

this

to Mrs. Shriver.

that

of the

draw on babies, purses,

pants legs, erect nipples under T-shirts, and supple asses. People are buying prints and

having them removed from the frame for a quick taped interview about

to dedicate.

Near the end of the opening

collaborations with dancers

(i.e., sets, etc.)

for a ballet

critic.

Now we

and we

restaurant gallery in

are scurried off to dinner at a great

Grandvaux where

village near

country-style restaurant in a

little

I've eaten twice before.

eat fondue.

They have

reserved the whole

have a

We have very "serious" art conversations. Somehow always feel as if I "convert" people over to my side. Am I a "missionary"? I'm certainly on a

Geneva.

trying to

who

with Mr. and Mrs. Bonnier,

at a table

little

"mission"!

man just

(This

down

sat

near

me and

keeps looking

took his

seat.

apparently had his suitcase on the rack of the seat. Sorry, Mary! If his suitcase had been

on the

seat,

were a

lot

wouldn't have

Swiss yuppie

After dinner

same rant

supposed

present

and

prints). Actually,

tion card.

now

had

They

maybe

maybe. But

and

the cooks

all

waiters,

who

appear

all

its

in the

extensive wine selection. Also, Pierre's friend,

from 1958.

young

collector, very

tall

and

already has ten pieces of mine (drawings

a bottle of

1958 Armagnac

wine made

for the

opening with a

a case of this,

from which

label the

same

few years

Oh,

forgot

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; at

as the invita-

take four bottles now.

I'll

house

for a

quick

visit, after

defacing a local political poster by

to turn the faces into pigs.

hard

we go

to stop.

Dolce

mix of new-wave,

Vita. It's sort of punk-disco, playing a

To me everyone

looks like they're on heroin. If I lived in Switzer-

understand why.

After standing around bored for about an hour, a very black girl befriends

asks to be photographed with me. After this people start asking sort of

for

carry.

start, it's

I'd

lady,

special

rap, heavy metal, etc.

land

he wants, I'm certainly not

haven't opened. I'm waiting for the proper birthday.

adding noses and ears

Once

all

was an old

he has already given

to Pierre's

After Pierre's

If he

father.

are sending

have eight to

for

a big nose like

I still

the gallery they

can stare

with three great bottles of Swiss wine. This small restau-

be quite famous for

and cute with

which

a bottle of Armagnac

thin

before,

underneath his luggage.

do drawings

Philippe, gives

sit

rack, there

sorry!)

They

family.

had no idea whose luggage was on the

of people sitting around already.

going to move so he can a

sat there.

young punkish boy wants me

draw on

his

tit.

draw on

me and

things.

slim with a nice hairless

chest and this seems like an adequate surface to embellish. Periodically pinching his already-erect nipples, to his delight,

tographed. shirt.

draw

continue to drink beers.

oblige.

Now the

black

girl,

who

man whose head

real cute

tells

she

Lausanne, says her friend wants a drawing on her

his nipple.

are

pho-

"nerd-look" asks for a design on his is

from Boston and

tit,

too. I've never

lives in Paris

done

and

this before,

except on Grace, so

say

why

not? She pulls up her

small breast that could excite even me.

head

that the figure's

A man

draw

a similar figure as

me who

should go on the radio, now,

runs the local radio station. Everyone decides

3:00 AM.

They grab champagne, the

club owners and head for the radio station.

Somehow Brion

who knows

Gysin's

Timothy Leary

ing about people who've been in Lausanne. Also,

I'm delighted to meet someone

had on the boy, except

We pose for photographs.

bigger since her nipples are bigger.

introduced to

shirt, revealing a really beautiful

cute nerd, Pierre, the

name comes up

talk-

lived here for a while.

of and appreciates Brion. I'm feeling more

comfortable now. I

and

some

pick out

much

point, translating as

as possible.

own hands and

take creation in his

phenomenon

interesting

remarkable, and

He's denied the

finality

would go

all

the

a healthier

smashed

at this

respect for Michael's attempts to

pop

Rambo

get his ears pointed or

think

tail

add

Walt-Disneyed

or Ronald Reagan.

own hands,

into his

culture.

totally

maybe, but nonetheless

scary,

little

example than

of God's creation and taken

way and

Michael Jackson,

rather

and modern technology. He's

time parading around in front of American if he

about

talk

at the least.

somehow

think

who

Pierre,

invent a non-black, non-white, non-male, non-female

creature by utilizing plastic surgery out!

LL Cool J,

records: Rita Mitsouko, Grace Jones,

Tom Tom Club. We do a sort of interview with

while

the

all

would be much cooler

or something, but give

him

time!

we end

I'm getting tired and the hotel.

before ested.

have a heavy discussion about

can even muster up any attempt

She says

she's

Pierre picks

will edition.

Army

now.

The nerd

takes

death and the Pope, and he goes

life,

making

4:30

pass

home

him. I'm not really that inter-

up.

from some lady

London working

be doing an update or something. Not

has a hangover.

sign

some of the

small

for

this

House

& Gar-

morning

Lucky

Strike prints

dedicate a print for Philippe (the young collector) and rush to catch the

boys.

take the train to

to a call

supposed

12:37 train to Zurich. looking

It's

New York and talk a little while. I miss him most at night.

call Juan in

Next morning wake up den.

the broadcast.

The

Now

train

arriving as

I've got to get to

Milano instead. Wouldn't

get there.

It is full

of surprisingly boring

Zurich and get to work.

that

be fun! But,

It's

very tempting to

forgot, I'm here to

work, not

have fun!

Got

to Zurich, ate

took a quick

visit to

another apple in the station, took

Bruno Bischofberger Gallery

paintings in his studio in this.

left

Bruno

a bottle

in his gallery, since

taxi to hotel

to see Francesco's

and

show.

called Rolf. I

had seen the

New York, but they look even better in a sterile atmosphere like of wine with my label and a note. I still feel a little sad not being

he shows almost

all

favorite artists.

really

should be in his

7 9

gallery. It's

stupid that

wanted

show me.

denied him

because

was just a premature decision

but

hard not

it's

to. I

good enough.

know

really shouldn't

end

that in the

Bruno

Now

1982 when he

Bruno won't show me

something. But paranoia always makes

in the beginning, or

think he just doesn't think I'm this,

to avoid

took Tony's advice and said no.

worry about things

be any of these

will not

OCTOBER The

last

1987

two days have

been an experience.

really

kind of like taking a crash course in

It's

animation. Franz and Rolf are great and I'm really learning a

My hands hurt from so much drawing.

pretty natural.

the three characters

and the dog, drawing them

lot.

Somehow

Basically I've just

it all

and with

in different positions

how

exactly the

don't think

first, I

one more thing

prove

It's

myself I can do.

this

aspect

think

really gives

first. If I

had been an

do now.

Now it's

my drawing "sense" my development.

the right time in

aspects of what

already did

Everything happens for a reason.

And

I'm sure everything always happens

and

work

a joy to

here, too. Every day

really love this family.

think

I left

them on

children and

my own

many more

lives

alive, I

a fence,

sure

and today we went

Taking turns carrying the kids

and generally having a good time

worth

all

the trouble

and heartache. Like,

children, but

than just one.

really

miss

wonder

I, at

least,

their lives in a

maybe

Chiara Clemente and was draw-

have been a good companion to a

way

this is a

Somehow I

Andy

people

that will

much more important

think this

miss

like that?

the reason I'm

What

lot

be passed on through time, I

really

wish

role to play in

still alive.

sometimes. People are always bringing

will

probably one of the most memorable moments

kind of simple lesson of sharing and caring. Sometimes

could have

his absence.

eat with the family

New York, I visited Nina and

maybe have touched a

to fly kites.

else

their walls. It's

my life. Whatever else I am, I'm

and taught them

important to be able to have these experiences.

it's

makes everything

the one thing that

ing pictures with

in the right place.

shoulders, holding hands, balancing

of being

other things

relationship to

coming

park with the kids for about two hours

many

have done so

Some-

with a kind of author-

at certain

couple of days before

have a chance to do

look

It's really

playing.

It's really

to take a closer

the right time

to the

would have the same to

back inside

sort of going

and now

this,

whole other dimension and

intuitively.

different

the Disney stuff and other cartoons were done.

all

and sense of purpose because

It's

way

always wanted to do

I've

animator

it's

comes

been developing

expressions so that Rolf and Franz will have adequate material to animate with. cool 'cause

things that

little

determine the importance of anything.

will

ity

Speaking

the subject of

a selfish thought!

artists

make

only

had

assure their immortality? In search of immortality:

art to

have to stop writing.

this since

was

maybe

that's

My finger hurts so bad! The dent in my finger is really big. I've when I draw a

a kid, but

lot

gets really deep.

I'm going to go back to reading Kurt Vonnegut's

new book,

Bluebeard, and go

to sleep.

OCTOBER It

was

8 7

a bit sad leaving last night.

do some

tests

15-second

worked

with the color backgrounds of the

test

little

B-boy

all

day

to finish the "character sheets"

who

(chilly willy inspired)

really looks a lot like

We plan to name him BIPO

in the English version of the films.

with Sonya and Serafina

midday which was

was time

to the kids,

goodbye

to say

return soon after Christmas to

impromptu

great

New York so told her

salad

we could

would look

all

of the preliminary said goodbye.

the

little

drawings so

They

test films.

the animation. Serafina

She explained

assured them I'd

was

telling a

a flying salad

together.

gave

could take

copy

We hugged and they will send

Smurf and Smurfette ice-cream I

had emptied

the plane to Brussels. left

earlier.

on the same

flight

When

the customs area

Jean Tinguely waiting

for

me.

and

got

Jean Tinguely and Keith

found

llaring,

Lausanne.

Switzerland.

1988

He had been

from Zurich, had

a first-class ticket for

on the plane. The people on the plane couldn't

he waited

was

all live

arrived at the airport, checked in

luggage and

ting

house

dinner with the family

upset because

for her in her flying

They promised

containers that

got

little

BIPO.

some chalk drawings

certainly will.

the originals with me.

did

did a drawing for Franz and Rolf and

Xeroxed

really fun. After

do more work on

their

bowl tomorrow from the window of

the plane. I

that

who were

story inspired by the salad at dinner.

would carry them and

that

and

suggested. Everything looks great. Rolf did a

tell

me, and had just missed

him whether

was on or

me getnot, so

me afterwards. We drove together to Knokke in a car Roger had sent. It We talked about: what we both have been working on, Japan, skateboard in New York, his ticket for driving 150 mph, painting race cars, painting

to find

a great ride.

ramps,

graffiti

airplanes, Niki de St. Phalle's painted airplane, Paris, collaborating

on drawings

editioned by Pierre Keller, the Guggenheim, fountains, not working, working, Roger's

cooking, calligraphy, the Beaubourg, Pontus Hulten, Galerie Beyeler, Bruno Bischof-

money, the restaurant he did

berger,

York, to

He always

Knokke.

that

says amazing things to me,

he could convince Pontus Hulten

the Beaubourg,

how

stands

don't notice.

which

really

makes me

me adding to drawings

mostly

and

more equal

scratch and be

few years ago

home.

feel at

he had done

our

is really

me permission

to get

tried to initiate a

efforts.

back

in the

understand calligraphy, and he gives

New

Kyoto, flower arranging, his next trip to

and ended up doing drawings

etc., etc., etc.,

earlier,

way

seat for the rest of the

supportive.

to see the avail.

He assured me

"sunken lobby" of

He's so cool, he under-

a lot of credit for things others

did some cool drawings together,

we decided

but

Our drawing

habits

next time to

start

from

complement each other

nicely.

OCTOBER I

woke

198

Something about biker gang murders,

early after strange dreams.

sisters,

Kermit, Juan, moving or cleaning apartments, leaving a ladder in the street in front of

map

the church, a pizza shop, looking at a U.S.

ing a houseboy, etc., etc.,

and

New

York.

all

The moon was was

the Nellens' house

almost

the light

was pouring through

few times during the night

Niki's dragon

dreams

also.

a lot like a

just

boarded the plane

fir-

dream anyway.

in the

windows. Sleeping alone,

and look out the windows. Sleeping I

remember

this

summer having

could have had on the work

effect this

and

as bright as daylight outside

strange

was doing

self? to Nice. It's

funny

me how many

this is the best. I've like a

different

ways

seen Harding, Harv-

combination of Inc. and

ink;

like that.

to the

drove with Monique

school where he

the director.

met him when he interviewed me tures about

me and

serious piece about called

round holes to piss

one says Harinck. Looks/sounds

This morning

agency,

night and sleeping inside the Dragon at

was almost

on boarding passes, but

gets spelled

ing, etc., but this

the

all

wonder how much

Knokke and my unconscious

name

full last

really strange. It

awoke

Rhode insurance

inside the

taking place in Kutztown or a combination of Kutztown

something

a big fan

me sometime

and supporter of my work.

Daniel Templon Gallery in Paris

has written articles about me.

like the

and met Pierre Staeck and went

to Brussels

soon. His school

last year.

first

lec-

says he wants to write a longer, is

small, but concentrated.

It is

Center for Graphic Research, and teaches video, drawing,

painting, advertising,

about 180 students. put in

most famous

the

There

9:00 AM.

are only arrive,

but

the painting suffer

well,

it is

always

difficult to tell

One

different to

if it is

when

just as any painting

question

perceived differently in a

when you

may have

it's

are using a translator.

and

in a

museum. Does

answered simply that of course

museum

benefited from the need to

a painting in the street,

changes contexts?

not necessarily suffer more just because text

for cartooning.

was asked

Belgium

a quick talk, stopping after every sentence for a translation.

very hard to explain subtle points.

simplify:

has arranged an impromptu slide lecture

and do

slides

seemed

and

associated with the street.

changes,

My work does

or a public place.

change of con-

changes any painting equally, but the work remains the same!

Another point was made by

on top

lines

"system."

a teacher

asked

if it

who

bothers

process for arriving

debt to him, as

Warhol, Matisse,

etc).

The

my use

that in fact

of color blocks with black

we use an almost

point

artists

that

from Leger's.

using

rework

though

may have borrowed

or stolen

it is

work out

satisfactory.

the color/line relationship with pencil

do not use

mal relationships. Leger already did large areas, usually

vehicle for

(if

made

you

my own way.

not, as Leger, until

acknowl-

have learned from (including Picasso,

wish) his technique of color with black lines overlaid (also used by Miro), I've

own by

identical

with Leger could only be a compliment,

at this result is quite different

all

likened

said that for a viewer to associate

because

edge

to Leger's.

that,

a canvas as a

don't need

to. I

and work and

kind of investigation of foruse this technique to cover

on murals, sometimes on canvas (and now animation),

work.

as a tool or

paint spontaneously the color shapes and then directly apply the

black lines, also spontaneously, in relation to the color shapes (and often inspired by them). This becomes a process

(full

of chance), which

a tool to use as

wish

produce

effective result. It

has,

suppose, a calculated

use this effect in a way that evocative to the viewer.

The

effect, since

know

both challenging

skill

will

me and

of drawing and balance

work.

The

task

for

successfully balanced

and

the key, not the technique.

The paintings do

not only bear a resemblance to Leger, of course, but also evoke compar-

isons to African,

American Indian, Aztec and other

tion,

but because of the quality of drawing.

are quite different than Leger

from the other cultures

traditional forms, but not

The images drawn on

and have more

common,

just mentioned. At the

same time

think, with the art

conveyed

and images

that they are associated with

these so-called "primitive" cultures by their use of linear, two-dimensional, orative elements, the information being

by imita-

top of the color blocks

and even dec-

completely contemporary and in

most cases would not or could not have existed before. They are informed by technology,

8 3

popular culture and the Information Age. They explore the "effect" of these new

human

the

Also the way in which they are executed and the places they are executed ferent

realities

condition and experience of the "self."

from Leger.

think he

would he

happy

quite

to see these paintings

quite dif-

"accepted" by

the public he desperately tried to reach during his lifetime. Because of his interest in

Socialism and politics, he sought to place his paintings in public places of work and was quite disappointed the case with me.

swimming In fact,

when

the "workers" in the factory rejected his offerings. This

Most of these paintings

are put in public places

pools, parks, etc.) and quite rarely

do any of them

(i.e.,

art

world"

much

not

receive a negative reaction.

have found the public quite anxious to accept and appreciate

bourgeois and the "critical

schools, hospitals,

less receptive

and

my work, while

feel

the

themselves to be

"above" such work.

Pierre Staeck pointed out to me, the popular culture

time were so far separated that the toons, television, advertising,

much

that

artist like

Pop

artists

needs ber

could not accept him. Now,

Art, video

Keith Haring

lar" culture are often intermingled

music and

possible.

films, the

The

Andy Warhol? The

artists

after

of Leger'

50 years of car-

gap has been shortened

"official" culture

and sometimes even

identical.

to remain outside of the public. This doesn't sound to

between high and low

and the

The

and the "popuartist

me like a new

no longer

idea.

Remem-

Information Age and the camera have blurred the boundaries

art. If Leger

were

alive today,

wouldn't he want to draw with a com-

puter? Wouldn't he be quite happy to be able to see his images televised to the "masses"

he dreamed

working for? Yes, of course, now people can go

Leger painting. Probably many more accept

ate a

In time everything

inally.

proven

becomes

no longer looks

palatable. Picasso

museum and

to a

immediately, but that

appreci-

another thing!

shocking as he did orig-

has been safely categorized as an "artistic genius,"

whose

pictures have been

be "important" and even "classic" by the tremendous prices they fetch.

The

market has proven them a sound investment*. People wear dresses covered with prints

and Picasso, and have

similar to Leger to

still

find

vulgar and radical as

for the last

years.

length of time

something

takes for

you expect them

was 50 or 60 years ago?

But we're not talking about things that are accepted

The

How could

we're talking about now.

later,

go through the process of consumption and

acceptance and imitation has been getting shorter and shorter and shorter. Even Pop Art

took

at least ten years to

be assimilated into the culture. But not now!

appeared on T-shirts and clothes in every continent of the world before one real

Before

was even considered or proven

T-shirt. Before

new phenomenon. This

the

may soon go beyond

is art

"art

and makes an

people

who wish

world" and remain separate and

will

one day look

will

be asked, "Doesn't

as a starting point as "old" it

and

special.

answer I

OCTOBER girl

when

of about

heels.

Now

adorable.

8 I

itself,

moving so quickly

sure that there I

And

that

so that the popular cul-

separatist culture obsolete.

keep their positions

as "classic" as Leger.

This

in the safety of the

someone who

have done, so

much

will

so that

I'm sure that one day an

artist

to that

I'm sure he (or she) will be as ready to

8 7

arrived at Yves

know I'm

They have

name

for

and Debbie's, the

a cute

something

little

German

in French,

in a

The

baby lamb

girl

first

thing

see

a beautiful Tunisian

maid's outfit complete with stockings and high

in the right place. like a little

who

baby,

that hasn't

goddaughter,

grown any

incredibly

fur yet. She's really

the temporary "nanny." Yves has another

which he explains means "a

takes care of the children." He's too

bother you that you have used a technique similar

7 years wearing a

cool.

to finally

was dead.

and met Yves and Debbie.

Madison looks

it,

was!

arrived in Nice

Yesterday

elitist

and go beyond what

Keith Haring to achieve your effect?"

works

have any "monetary investment value." This

of an Information Age that

catching up and actually surpass

use

example

had even made

had even one museum exhibition. Before

ture dictates the actions of artists a very frightening idea to the

much! Anyway,

the

beauitiful

young

house looks great and

girl

it's

who

a relief

kind of paradise atmosphere with no appointments or obligations.

8 5

had dinner with Grace

she plans to be in Europe a

feel better

from her

gallery.

Lichtenstein

the

was nice

Anyway,

ment

worse than

feels

She came

to see her.

installed in front with the

horrible, but the piece

same placement

jammed a

between

for dinner,

and Marisa Del Re and an

Calder and the Appel.

fantastic.

can't imagine

will

all

it.

assis-

Casino, where a huge

The

installation/place-

what sculpture could survive

and overdone

in front of the Casino. It is so kitsch

that only a really

talked about art a bit. Marisa said she

Can you imagine

sculpture in Minister.

Casino? Preferably

that in front of the

of the existing sculpture, I'm sure! Yuck! Kind of like a yard sale

museum! Grace had

be escorted (driven)

course she insisted

we come

Yves' better judgment,

home

and was

we decided

walked around more, went

incredible. size

Must be aluminum.

Not before she

to leave.

thick. It

and painted accordingly. Incredible job.

really

Pop.

wonder what Claes Oldenburg

I'm looking

OCTOBER finally

got back

with the

arrived back at 5:15

wonderful morning. after dinner, so

art supplies, visited

waiter. Everything

moon

It's

three brush strokes

probably 30

thinks of it

close. It's really

blown up

huge

feet high. Really cool

and

moon behind, and I walk around

for a long time.

1987

What

Valiums

full

in the house. It

at 5:00.

full

But against

on showing us the

insisted

to look at the Lichtenstein sculpture

It's really

and me and of

the entire two blocks by Yves

practically begging for a massage.

suppositories Patrick bought her for her cold: Ahh, the

ocean the

moaning and com-

her, as she is constantly

They were working on a sculpture show at the

tacky bronze fountain could compete with liked

in the

"Why me?"

plaining,

tant

everyone

till

She's here to find an apartment in Paris, since

She and Debbie went swimming

bad cold and doesn't stop whining. I'm convinced she

night before, so she caught a

not

last night.

lot this year.

7:00 AM.

The door downstairs

and couldn't get

Now

the sun

nobody heard

in.

amounted

Nobody answered

so bright

Hung

to nothing,

but

suppose

the

can't go to sleep.

the phone. Spent

Grace, ate Tunisian food.

apparently gets locked

all

phone

till

now.

Everyone took

day doing nothing. Bought

out for a while with a Moroccan that

the joy of Monte Carlo

doing nothing.

They found my baggage tion

went

for very

good

prices.

and wake up and continue

ÂŤ 6

New York. (More on

writing.)

should arrive today. Also

this

when

throw away

this

pieces at auc-

pen, go to sleep,

find

kind of absurd that

so aware of these things now, but I've

the importance of knowing what's going

auction market

only makes

begun

"situation."

making

appear as

there

can even create a

ket," they

when is

a general

move

where everyone

false

what

was

or not.

who

could

the last auction.

work

the older

The

follows. If people

appear as

will

There were

they went low,

work

could look

is sitll

want

demand. What

other weird thing

am doing

work

the

now.

(i.e., art

that the

want

money.

thought

them works things

that

earlier

it is

already in competition with the

made

galleries. (3)

tions. (4)

You

work

so long as

They

are

They

now

interest in

realize that this

would make them

reselling

at the first

"group"

your works

of these

sell

What young artist

opportunity? Also because

work and

critically

in the public

means they can

all

originally.

to sell pictures instead of deliver

are singled out in the

This creates an

on the

many of

auctions. Unfortunately,

the initial sales are instrumental in creating an interest in the

public. (2)

have to make sure that

almost impossible to avoid.

the chance to sell

wanted

The

assholes in the beginning, and naively sold

of great quality.

This whole system sucks dick, but

vicious cycle. (1)

1982 or '83 were merely buying

care less whether they liked

and making much more money than

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; two wood reliefs

for similar pieces in

My things started appearing in auc-

many

originally in

many of these people were

ence. Also, of course,

"mar-

they are losing value.

29, and I've been showing works internationally

may not have been

would not be seduced by

to hurt

so to ensure a market for the

in the future,

market) since around 1982.

They could

market by

they are not wanted anymore.

work I did

who were buying my work

an investment.

how

a strange cycle!

around 1984 and since then have been

the people

I've

on the market, creating

several pieces

my new work,

that this affects the desire for

"gallery circuit" tions

ignore

impression by overestimating the value of something so

afraid of in this auction.

am doing now and

work

To just

try to affect

stuff

and four drawingsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; which had much higher estimates than those

weird thing

to learn

have been sold and for

dump my

doesn't reach the estimate at auction

come

pieces are put into the

have not bought anything back myself, but

are people out there

was

a kind of "stock market crash"

This

I still

Since

to follow the auctions to at least find out if things

much. Especially since there

that

in this area.

have to deal with the situation, whether

more of a

house

creating an audiplants.

it is

art dealers

the work, so they offer

and/or the

art critics

and among

you

and

exhibi-

People buy the work, which enables you to work more, buy bigger/better mate-

rials

and work space, and support yourself without doing un-art-related work.

also

means your

fellow artists

make money, so your

no longer see you

entire social situation

as part of the

(5)

This

"group" since now you

changes around you. (6) You

now

are

imme-

"market" since people begin

diately thrust into the art

buy

the

work because

it is still

your prices are fixed accordingly.

(8)

as a risky investment, but

can afford

sive they

world begins

the

works begin

to escalate. (12)

appear

new "market"

of the work in the

first

"risky investment"

on some new

producing and

works

the

a balance

This

and

The

now

addition of

now

market strength

artificial

means. But

by those

who wish

dump

make

these things and

might be able

the

of the

in.

their next

make them

artist

now must

a few still

regulate his pro-

my immersion

far

way

will all

that

would go away. But,

Andy,

life

affected

what Andy did negatively

have sustained

has been an uphill struggle, since

this pest

popular culture

Most of these have

in the art market.

in a negative way, similar to the

in the

been a fundamental part of my growth and

my position

strength without any

supporters are outnumbered I

will

haunt their

little

world

or not.

go away

ignore

am it.

seemed

interested in the auctions now.

won't.

And

in this auction

can-

stand-

be overestimated, which could have

they'd failed to get the prices suggested in the catalogue. But the pieces

even more than the top estimate, some drawings bringing up

good considering

that the

same drawing

the catalogue as being by Keith

The "hype"

in a gallery

$5,500. This

would cost $3,000

only piece that went for less than estimated was a piece by LA ROCK.

(10)

My specific case is a little different because of the added

ing was very good. All of the pieces

artist.

this "balance."

This overall "situation" explains why not simply hope

"rising"

you are being collected and

before a possible loss begins to set

"popular success" and

factors in

forever whether they like

for

new

have risen substantially and some of

must be sustained. (16) The

affected his relationship to the market.

been bad

inexpen-

you now have

collectors probably don't believe in the value

"artist" they feel

also the special projects that have

went

is still

have brought to the system that have confused and challenged the system

the art world are

there

to think

auction are in competition with the works you are

a "general" scenario.

"situations"

begin

since

about the work.

to write

place and are eager to

duction to assure his ability to sustain

itself.

for this

at auction, since the prices

These people who were "speculative"

Now

more demand

Everyone feeds off this, including you. (13) Eventually

these "investors" are eager to "cash in"

bucks. (15)

Many people unknown and

and, of course, more offers for exhibitions because

and journalists begin

critics

art

the

Many people

increases the prices begin to go up. (11) Because

exhibited

(14)

sell,

relatively

You produce even more works

new audience

of the growing interest and the

demand

it.

the work. (7) still

an investment nonetheless. Since the work

this small risk. (9)

money and

time,

buy

The more work you

by word-of-mouth by the people who are "collecting"

you

very inexpensive since you are

tops.

was

The

listed in

H and LA ROCK, but there were no lines of mine on

it.

even said

in the

drawing went

OCTOBER I

catalogue that

for $1,500. That's

up Jan

pick

morning entry on October

be pretty eventful. After

at the train station

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he

who has a house

came from Amsterdam

and

side) with paintings

Scharf. Inside others.

was even

He had

a small

outside of Nice.

It's

The

rest

went

spend the weekend.

we went

to visit

We Ben

pretty cool; covered (on the front and one

objects, sort of like a sloppier,

of postcards on

better, full

stopped writing, Debbie and

returned to the house and went with Yves and Debbie to Nice. First [Vautier],

and LA. This

1987

11,

day turned out

and not by

O.K.

haven't had a chance to write since the early

that

was signed hy

still

more European, older Kenny

the walls

all

Macintosh computer he was learning

newspapers every day and had copies of Le Monde stacked

and pieces by him and

to use.

all

said he read the

over the place to prove

it.

files. He kept referring to it as his "archives." He me some stickers and a poster that I drew on and gave back to him. Then he gave me

Everything seemed to be in boxes and gave

a print that said simply,

looking

"no More Art

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ben," and he wrote

everything and hearing stories.

all

We stayed a while French. We drank some

over

was somehow very

it.

wine, ate some chicken wings and talked.

left

for

Nice where we had an appointment

visited with Yves the

Cesar and Ben, and had It is

the

sort of a

trade

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; similar to

for.

ing the

sounded

One was

head ashtray holder

still

that

very strange and hard to

So with left

fun, so

had a

ate

that could

make

for

to paint

my hand and make a small

not? There were two things

and

glass

dome

model where

his

The

edition

wanted very much the artist

was fuck-

other was a stuffed alligator

with two small crabs inside the glass.

was

resist.

a small Japanese brush

turned out

etc.

have a sensibility running through

had never seen before

and China ink

did a very detailed drawing on

hand and printed photographically an edition often

The and

holding his brush and palette.

traded the nine prints and one

PP.

why

a Picasso etching of the artist

model while

had

Xerox machine, but doing very accurate reproduc-

on photo paper. Yves had an idea

of prints of it.

of odd antiques and prints from Picasso, Miro, Braque,

mish-mash of everything, but seemed

photo prints instantly

lots

whole mess. They had an incredible machine

tions

Galerie Ferrero, the gallery

day before which shows mostly only the work of Arman, but also

for the Picasso

prints.

and the

Three APs and two PPs.

alligator ashtray.

gave Yves a

really cool.

ink was very durable and

dinner and did photos with

kept

hand.

my hand and nude

drove back to Monte Carlo

with Debbie, also nude, and Bea

8 9

(the

German girl)

also nude. Jan took Polaroids.

photos got

in the stronger the

and

leather jacket

and

The

12, 19

flight to

cream and

new

novel, Bluebeard.

Tokyo from London makes one

first-class

lots

of pictures of Russia, but

like all the stereotypical ideas let,

but the ceilings had open

see

think we're flying over

Moscow. I'm

much from

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; things about

in a style that

all

had of the USSR.

slats

scared.

little

the air or in the

lounge where they served

of magazines lying around but not

lots

whole place was very "propaganda-looking" and

stop, in

You couldn't

interesting.

and cold. They had a

There were

tea.

only black

8 7

The layover in Moscow was airport. Pretty dismal

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; wearing

a garter belt.

just finished reading Kurt Vonnegut's

Russia.

We took Ecstasy. The more the X kicked me wearing only my

Yves was photographing

and Adidas making out with Bea

lace panties

stockings, high heels

OCTOBER

until finally

many

ice

The

in English.

Strategic Defense Initiative

was very uncontemporary.

seemed

considered making a "tag" in the

which made me think there might be

toi-

hidden camera.

We were happy to re-board the plane.

OCTOBER I

was greeted

1987: TOKYO

13,

at the

door of the plane by

customs and make sure alerted her that

was

That's Japan for you

was O.K.

arriving

...

spent

all

asked her

was

if she

photos printed

all

haven't even

done

OCTOBER Went

to a

over the sleeves. Pretty weird!

rip-off.

that yet, but

14,

new French

inside. Sort of

it's

There were

good

one

who got

to greet

to escort.

Michael Jack-

My a lot

KH T-shirts. They had the

DV8

shirts

with Pop Shop wall

favorite of the

ones

bought

with just the Pop Shop logo.

idea.

restaurant that

had just opened three days before.

anthropomorphic bio high-tech. Got introduced in

Japan came

was

everyone.

really cool

cute

girl

to meet us at the restaurant. She's a big fan and

exactly the kind of gorgeous Japanese girl

through

1987

who's a new singing celeb

also the

Hysteric Glamour. Blow-ups of Club

good second-generation

Now I'm really impressed.

afternoon walking around, mostly buying fake

far, at

there to escort

and they considered me important enough

son a few weeks ago and she said she was.

best ones, so

woman who was

was impressed. Someone on the plane must have

always thought I'd many.

Too bad

have

absolutely no

way beyond

it's

who

that!

he gets a wedding band.

went together

all

called Juan.

Of course, he

proceeds

He to

"attacked" by everyone in

New York who wants

has a commitment from

if he

anymore. I'm not so sure. In

for

him

it's

different since

reality

would

never been good

I've

that

think

it, I

went smoothly.

Maybe

time for

it's

comes down

to sleep

look, but so

about

come

how

Tokyo unless

he can't help being

with him. (What a terrible prob-

me he won't be enticed

around

to fuck

what? Nothing ever happens. I'm sure

he would

call

me and

think

want

good and

say he was leaving for

freak out.

at this. I've

never really understood love or had a relationship

want

to get married.

be hurt.

I'm not sure

like to pity

can

live

really sickeningly jealous yet at the

The whole

that he's a sex object.

can't fuck with destiny. So, he's

October 30,

a walking sex object. I'm real confused.

because

it. I

says he won't

tell

always seem to seek rejection and the more

don't want to accept

was

Palladium,

am not fucking around like he imagines I am. People

24-7.

be independent sometimes, but really

like the

Like the inside of a spaceship.

lem.) He's convinced

do not throw themselves

to this other club that

did Bladerunner. People had described

home around 2:30 AM and

got

interest in girls.

I've got to either

was too much

thing

coming

make

to Japan in

loved, the

myself or something.

without Juan

when

really

same time excited by the idea

like destiny.

And you know you

two days and by the time we leave on

commitment or

say goodbye forever. This

not the

kind of thing that can be decided over the telephone.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER Met Seiko the trees

about six

AM and went

1987

15,

Tama

City to meet

"staff" of volunteers

designed and the panels we'll do the murals on.

feet high,

everything bells

8:30

but

getting

look O.K.

still

worked

originally intended.

coming) everything

still

out.

The

They

The

trees

all

to see

were only made

didn't have the right kind of brushes, but

bells are small metal bells instead

Considering

and

the changes

and the

of the ceramic

rain (they say a

typhoon

has the potential to go great.

TOKYOâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; I

went

thing

Also

Tokyu Department Store

you can imagine I

went

buy brushes

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including a Montreux Jazz

for

tomorrow. This store has every-

Festival poster of

mine from 1983.

Parco to see Bruce Weber's show on Rio de Janeiro. Most of the photos

were the same as

in the

book, but a few hadn't been published.

A picture of Eriksen

(the

What

a perfect

arriving any minaute. Juan's plane

was sup-

kick-boxer) coming out of the water with a perfect outline of his cock.

human specimen. My "Eriksen" should be posed hour

to land at 4:15,

but

could take him a couple of hours to get here with the rush-

Also saw Francesco Clemente's book India, which

traffic.

Michael McKenzie's book about

of shit. Cutrone cover and

stuff, a lot

New York in the

art in

full

Eighties.

of Kostabi bullshit.

is I

Also

really beautiful.

browsed

it;

some good

One major misquote

saw

immediately: There's a picture of the Houston Street mural, defaced, that says, "Unlike

KH's mural, which was commissioned, seemed

ing's just

much more

complicated.

time.

it,

the defaced mess,

and

initiated after.

Juan

here,

for the for

second time when

all

no more writing

born

in front of it just to paint

the

1987

17,

was discussing with Seiko how much the fundamental

much

do with

a result of Christianity.

The

differ-

Everyone

religion.

Buddhist, whether they are actively practicing or not.

most of which

the sub-

straight!

tude toward the world and the concept of "self" idea,

applied a coat of silver paint to wipe out

ence between people here and in the West had so is

concerning that mural

the paint for the graffiti collaboration by seven other artists

Get your story

Tama.

the train to

here

real story

more bags of garbage from

SATURDAY, OCTOBER On

The

We were never commissioned. I paid for the paint the first time, for all

sequent repairs to

that

of the others which ended up on top of Har-

bullshit.

How dare he credit Tom Otterness with initiating that wall after

we shoveled and hauled 20 first

all

What

appear there."

basic

atti-

very different than the Western

Somehow

think

Buddhism

instills a

basic premise of "peace" with the world and the self and a kind of respect for the indi-

vidual as well as the "whole." intensity

uncommon

me.

The

an "understood" (unquestioned) cept or pursuit in the same

way

basic general attitude of people here has a kind of

attention paid to details fact.

and aesthetic

People do not think that "art"

There

as in the West.

sensibility

a separate

con-

an unwritten understanding

of respect and coexistence. It is

certainly not Utopia here;

problems

dilemmas and confrontations between codes." All I'm saying

situation.

something

that

and unspoken. seems

9 2

permeate every

exist at every level.

tradition

that the underlying attitudes

The

sense of "order"

There

are

many moral

and behavior "standards" and "moral

and

aesthetic sensibilities

seem

within everyone and everything. Standards are not imposed, but

It is

a "pleasure" to

work here and

be something you do by your

own

not a thing that has to be "forced," but felt

a "pleasure" to follow rules because

choice, not only because you are told.

It is

much more complicated but

think

situation than can be "explained"

have an idea of what

lies

by these simple observations,

within the complicated system.

We took the train to Shibuya and Juan and went toward the hotel. We ran into some people I knew from New York. This guy that does a sort of drag show of a dead Marilyn Monroe. They told us about a cool bar. We ate and went to meet them there. It was the I

gay part of Shinjuku, but not a gay bar

had a Pop Shop poster

on drawing strange and

went

toursists in

to a

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sort of a "mixed" crowd and a great DJ. They

at the entrance. It

erotic things.

was fun because

stayed

till I

was

into

and was getting

got tired of signing things and

off

left.

gay bookstore and bought a magazine. There were some gross American

wandering around, one of whom was leering

your pants?" Give

at Juan:

"Hey, beautiful, can

get

me a break.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18 It's really

amazing

work

world. Even after working

here, be here.

ass off in

get here

Here everything you do

appreciated,

and

this culture, that is really

here or something.

Maybe

I've

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER last

ings

on Monday and Tuesday with

two days have been so busy

the

be made here and deciding what

met

design for them.

Somebody gallery

owner

to steal

still

think

of. I

some connection

Some

might have been

have to

kind of feeling as

used

this

I'm from to

be a

a Japanese painter.

haven't had time to write. Major four-hour meet-

Pop Shop send from

staff of Tokyo.

Going over

New York. The

many

possibilities.

most

all

products

difficult thing is

Everything seems to be

great quality merchandise

to a

books

making anything .

and they were very excited about

today from a gallery on the Ginza.

anything.

killed the

incredible!

huge printing company

have to talk about money, of course.

and got away. Pretty

ably big and capable of vinyl bags, flip

else in the

don't get the kind of

stole a Picasso painting

Today I went

a manufacturer of eyeglasses that might be interested in having

They make

working with me.

me anywhere

for nine years,

seems. There

deciding what not to do, since there are so I

like this for

been here before. Kwong Chi always says

The

going O.K.

not

York

hard to explain.

woman in my past life, but

Navajo Indian

New

from making even the smallest gesture of kindness.

respect or appreciation

place,

It's

to see

what they could do.

was unbeliev-

can imagine. Tattoos, pop-ups, holograms,

It's really

exciting to see the quality they are capable

can't wait to start.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 I

Fran

call

to explain. plaints. will

for art supplies to work on my drawings Saturday. Kaz sugNew York to try to get a better understanding of what she was trying and it made more sense, although she agreed with several of my com-

up and went shopping

got

gested

did

went

to the

house the shop.

suburbs

to see the place

redesigned the way

decided on placement of windows, doors,

where we're getting the containers

that

and

will construct the containers

seem very

etc. It's all starting to

thinks people should have to remove their shoes before entering. At

was too much, but maybe

it's

now. Juan

real

first

thought

more. After we

left

tainer place

we drove back

cool. I've got to think about

see

the

place

we can

this

the con-

Tokyo

rent

for

our

"disco" party for the opening of the shop.

want

people, but is

a place that will

seems

that in

completely unheard

Then we went

Tokyo

that

of.

Roppongi

have din-

who owns

ner with the queen building

hold 2,500

whole

of restaurants and discos.

full

We had met him before when I was here with Parco. He owns a tacky laser disco. When we entered, one of the waiters was wearing a badge with my drawing and the disco's logo. He immediately disappeared before we could question

him and mysteriously disappeared I

owner was

they didn't think

am?

The

sell

arriving.

them.

tracked

down

the

manager just

said he gave

them permission

to print

says they only printed

50-100 of them.

How dumb

as long as

does he

of the opening was rather comical and purposeless, with dinner in a funny

He wants me The funny

in his building.

The

food was good but

to paint a disco he's building in

thing

is,

Really tacky and really

9 4

returned. Kaz and

Who gave her permission?

rest

Chinese restaurant

The owner

had

immediately got more suspicious and

finally

the

when he

the badge

full

Hawaii. Don't count on

he's a total queen, but he always has a

Tokyo Pop.

of MSG. it,

doggy white

Mary.

girl

with him.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER Got up and went store to

2 4

Tokyu Hands department

buy paper, then went

to Sato's office in

Shinjuku to work on designs for Pop Shop.

was pouring

rain, a perfect

day

work.

spent

seven or eight hours working on designs for

phone

cards, the

shirt labels,

work

and

go over

new Pop Shop

bag, stickers,

a sweatsuit design. all

Very tedious

the lines with a fine

pen and

white-out so that the lines would be perfect.

The

drawn with marker must be cleaned

lines

up, but the lines painted with brush, which

do tomorrow,

leave

I'll

untouched so you can see

the brush lines.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 Went back for

to the studio to

Pop Shop Tokyo.

work on

the designs

did some dragon draw-

New Year's card and a poster-style calendar. We had an incredible dinner with Eiko at an Italian restaurant. We talked about everyings for a

ÂŠKK

/188

thing from her proposed collaboration with

Grace Jones artists

to fascism in art to the

abuse of

by Japanese corporations. She's working on

Broadway play (M.

Butterfly).

relationship to Japanese culture.

design for a Philip Glass opera and

had a very intense conversation about

was one of the most provocative and

conversations I've had in a long time. easy to talk together. She brought

set

seemed

to hit

off right

art

and

inspirational

away and

was very

a lot of interesting points about Japanese people's

idea and understanding of "art" as a concept.

MONDAY, OCTOBER Got up

New

26, 1987

8:30 and went to the studio to work on ink drawings for shirt designs.

Year's shirt with dragon-skin sleeves (scales)

printed (all-over) long-sleeve shirts.

They came

and some patterns

out pretty cool.

The

to use to

did a

make

only thing I'm afraid

been so many

that there have

going to look better than (or I

do the color

started to

but before

for

to ask questions,

seen very

One

left for

but

after a

and put

the last two days,

We arrived

slides in the carousels.

overestimating

took a while

the questions got

how much

people here

think that since people in Japan have

and books,

under-

will they

a fad or a trend?

answer was, "Since

years to

do commercial work

me and most

of them have a pretty

waited

I've

about

to find out

the different kinds of work I've done."

good idea about

warmed up and

while people

Maybe I'm

question raised was, do

had long enough

hope mine

the lecture in a taxi.

actual works, except from magazines

don't know.

and we

interpreters

me opening a shop here â&#x20AC;&#x201D; except as

here, people have

done

Everyone was very quiet and very serious.

of doubt, though.

art.

little

met the

as) the fakes.

time to taxi back to the hotel to meet Seiko.

the address

sort of weird.

little bit

understand

went

talk

people

better.

stand

American Center and

The

good

specifications for the artworks I've

knew it, it was 3:30 and

Seiko arrived and told at the

all-over pattern imitation shirts that

at least as

five

hope

We will see. It's

this is true.

too late to have second thoughts.

Afterward there were a few autographs and then

who

the volunteers

during the days I

went

helped

Tama

City came.

said

goodbye

to everyone.

Some brought photos

was of the

the interesting discussions

Their original proposal was

staff

who

organized the

and eighteen years

Viewed from

old.

would be needed

The image formed by

sunlight reflecting off the mirrors

for

visible

"give the children of Tama City a sense of their place as residents of the Earth."

satellite

researched was timed to pass over major

Imagine

my crawling baby

in several different cities

Delhi,

New

globe.

Sounds

all

like a great

They

satellite.

City.

of Tama's

They had

and everything!

satellite

would be photographed and

and participation

said the

cities in the

Tama

all

NASA

world

in the Island of

do photographs

satellite

they had

9:00 in the morning.

created by light from the sun in mirrors held by children

etc.

project

baby would actually crawl around the

New

entire

can you imagine the organization? Anything

is it?

Taxi back to the hotel in the sleep so

over the world: Moscow, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai,

York, Los Angeles,

possible. Or,

One

the air the image of

The "extended concept" was

world.

this all over the

project.

original concept for the project at

a land art piece using mirrors held

calculated the size that

they took of

Tama

"crawling child" would be seen, photographed by plane and also by

Japan and

A lot of

as presents.

dinner with Seiko and the

residents between six

rain.

can get up early tomorrow.

Now

I've got to call Julia in

New

York and go

TUESDAY, OCTOBER I

got

8:30 again

for the things

morning

this

2 7 go

to the studio to finish

designed here. Finished just in time to rush

Nagoya, a two-hour

was about

Most of the

ride.

in the Soviet

life

ride

themselves. After reading the article

means seem even more

how anxious I am

come and make them

two hours

ples.

ended up taking about four hours, but

large

ones (with kids).

choose the shapes of rice bowls

Some

face, the

painted, the

"into

learned

the less

it" I got,

how

wanted

30 sesconds

local train station (the train left

work.

have a similar

Kaz and Sato and I

were supposed

do and paint some sam-

did with

made

to leave.

after

simple

real

left

the rice bowls look fish paintings.

pigment on the clay

sur-

just in time to reach the

ran through the doors).

we can

catch the

Now we

last train to

11:00 PM.

really love to

seems

of being a

their limited

painted four small rice bowls and two

have just enough time to get to the Nagoya station, where

to control the glaze

wanted

"outsiders"

And nobody likes a cock-teaser!)

did with figurative patterns that

more African or Indian than Japanese, and some

The more

cover story

real situation

got to the ceramic manufacturer's studio around six o'clock.

to take

Kyoto

would only make

there

limited to them. (A kind of tease.

The

go there, now. Maybe

feel

have a different image of the

Maybe me going

artist.

to catch the bullet train to

spent reading Time magazine.

Union. I'm not sure

they don't need to have an "outsider"

Soviet citizen or a Soviet

with Juan,

to the train station

Kaz and the man from the Nagoya ceramics manufacturer,

Sato,

the color specifications

all

would

are

swear

effect

one of the things

it is

on everyone who and

all joking

love to be able to

spend

talking a

and

makes me most happy and

that

around

me while

Now Juan and

of "weird."

really sort

month or two

work.

in a small

town

in Italy or Spain just

working on ceramics, painting them and building things with them.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER Since

we were

ing

hanging.

all

in the It

2 8:

neighborhood, we went

maybe

down

and bought

a catalogue.

too chic. After

the hall.

Back

Mr. Chow's, where

my paint-

turned out to be right aside of "Tinguely," the restaurant/cafe Jean did

of the light sculptures and tables and chairs

pictures

KYOTO

to try to find

we were

was closed.

was

for. I first

really cool,

but

poliately "let out,"

went inside Tinguely and took

much more

chic than

expected;

walked back toward Mr. Chow's,

Why it was closed on a Wednesday night

don't know.

to the hotel.

We showered and Juan went out to buy socks. (We didn't have any clean ones and we were going

dinner in a geisha house and, of course, we'd have to remove our shoes.)

This was the highlight of the

trip to

people (even Japanese)

difficult for

a Jewish country club,

Kyoto.

to get a

The

chance

geisha house was really cool.

to visit a geisha

house.

It's

It is

kind of like

Kaz knows some of the women who

guess. Very exclusive. But

run the house, and one of them arranged our dinner.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER Today we

Kyoto

left

9:00

2 9,

AM and

me and

doing glasses with

the president

outfits. It

exactly

what go

retically

seems

and terms. They

They

his seal of approval.

and seems very promising.

a productive meeting

do and how much they are

when we begin

willing to pay.

that

are very interested stuff.

met

Now we have to negotiand motorcycle gear

are also interested in skateboards

will

the drain

company

visited the

they are capable of doing great

was

down

motocross).

(ski, cycle,

and he was impressed and gave

ate exact details

and

took a train to Osaka.

makes eyeglasses and sporting helmets in

It is still

The whole

very unclear

thing could theo-

to negotiate.

We went to lunch with people from the company and ate shabu shabu. Next we went

mostly just played with their "toys."

wouldn't buy one myself. first

me, though, so we have

I've got

want

are talking to them, but

So now

it's

showroom

to see National's

back

open

to I

don't actually

go very slow on

would

the

New York.

about a month before

shop I

return to

do more design work

for

show of my

roughs, organize the

Does I

first

boring and we

Panasonic radios and probably Since they approached

this one.

Sony

Tokyo

Tony

Tokyo

hope

Back

December

for

open

can't believe

it.

the shop. I've got to

(especially about

(the fans

and

Hans Mayer's

and the kimono

print),

198

to write this

down.

It's

almost a

full

Today Claude and Sydney and Jasmine Picasso stopped Tina

Chow called

to say hello.

moon.

in to visit.

my new

sculpture

hang the

collaborations with Brion Gysin, which

etc., etc., etc.

not.

New York. But had

come

didn't

and see what happens.

much work waiting

every stop?

NO V EMBER

really

house, work on the print project for Marty Blinder, the print project with

Tony's gallery December 15,

was

for Switzerland, reorganize the studio

storage space, go over a lot of stuff with

Osaka.

rather be talking to Sony.

have so

do some more work on the animation

project),

Bill

art in

Bur-

opening

Called George

Condo about Julian

bought a piece of mine

Stephen Sprouse fashion show

Allen Ginsberg called to invite

emy

of Arts &: Letters but

Molissa Fenley dance

Yves and Debbie

stopped

can't

Schnabel's opening

Whitney tomorrow.

at the

auction for $10,000.

tomorrow, but to

go because

can't even bring a date.

be his date

to a

dinner

at the

American Acad-

already promised to go see

friend

Dia Foundation.

Arman

are in

New

York and

tried to

buy my piece

at auction,

but

$8,000.

Grace Jones invited

to dinner.

Larry Levan stopped in to see me.

What

NO I

am on

a day! Is this

New York on a full moon in

M BE R 13, 1987 a flight from Frankfurt to

Tony yesterday

and the next one

at his

booth.

painting at the adjacent booth.

me about

was

this

spent

all

:00

day Wednesday

pick

came

first

one blown up

was

Germany

The

New York and Belgium and reason

real

trip there

museum

wanted

Sonnier

Paris, etc. Keith

to write this

down

got

at a

performance

10:00 in the morning.

woke up

for

me, "Are you Keith Haring?"

another seat near the said yes,

the only artist

went

happened

be between her and

ran into.

to see Bill

T.Jones

Manhattan Community Col-

9:00 and took the train downtown. the front

row

front.

and she said she had

a beautiful Puerto

to a vacant

me I had

row of move.

Suddenly a teacher was asking a seat available here in the

middle of her group of students. They were alljunior-high-school age. seat

lots

ran into lots of people

few minutes a class of students came and the teacher told

up and looked around

makes

went very smoothly and we

Germany.

When I entered the auditorium, eating an apple, I went to I

because of the amazing things that

for children at

seats. After a

Penck

disappointment) and seeing

and Arnie's company dance at

had

to the airport at 3:30. But, since

trip to

was

also

from

minute's notice. (Tony

at last

happened on Tuesday before the impromptu

lege. It

Hans

directly across

of art world people and generally being the center of attention.

The

to this scale (8

love hanging aside of Penck,

with

been made

the fair in Cologne, seeing the other small maquettes at

Hans's warehouse, going to see the Ludwig

from

to Diisseldorf

sculpture looked great.

me up

decided to go.)

to see the sculpture that has

The

feet.

blew him away.

and the car had

really important,

to land.

By coincidence

Anyway, we flew

the difference so obvious. called

York about

maquette. This was the

be about 25

will

one of my new paintings

New

Cologne Art Fair and

to the

out of cor-ten steel from feet)

1987, or what?

The only available

Rican boy with a black-and-blue

eye.

sat

down and

the teacher explained,

kids started asking for autographs

started describing the "last time" he

ized that he was the "mystery boy"

but I

have stared

at I

many

times.

hadn't met (because

even used

day.

few hours

went

met

later

ended up on

buy

gift

at the restaurant,

numbers and

the

suddenly

real-

was too busy painting)

Kwong took of him I

that

did that's in the stu-

a plane to

At the

gift

now he came up

to Frankfurt

said hellos

come

like this

to visit

and me

make me

after school.

Germany.

the airport (ten minutes before the plane

batteries.

but

for a long time but never

from God. Things

agreed to

shop

room during a dinner with Grace Jones

Except he was going

have a Polaroid

Lower East Side and has known "of me"

Second coincidence: At

across the

as a source for a painting

think destiny outweighs chance very often.

leave)

who recognized you." All

talked to the kid. After a while he

always thought I'd never get a chance to meet him or even see him again.

said he's from the

saw me, "painting Carmine pool."

who

met me. What an incredible coincidence.

But

the one

programs.

who I had watched from afar the whole

dio right now.

"He was

their

to talk.

ran into this kid at

was scheduled

who

had stared

her restaurant a week ago.

He was on

his

way

to Diisseldorf. In minutes,

to at

never

Germany,

also.

we had exchanged

and goodbyes. Coincidence(P). What kind of day

this?

1987 One-Ma Tony

Exhibitions New York City

Shafrazi Gallery,

Galerie Kaj Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland

Gallery 121, Antwerp, Belgium

Casino Knokke, Knokke, Belgium

Kutztown

New Arts Program, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Galerie Rivolta, Lausanne, Switzerland

Group Exhibitions Focus on the Image: Selections from the Rivendell Collection, Phoenix Art

Museum,

Phoenix, Arizona

UEpoque, La Mode, La Morale, La Passion, Centre Georges Pompidou, Kansas

Borrowed Embellishments, Kansas City Art

Institute,

Sculpture Project in Miinster, Westfalisches

Landesmuseum,

Avant-Garde in

the Eighties,

Comic Iconoclasm, Castelli

Miinster,

France

Germany

A II Art Forum Thomas, Munich, Germany

Institute of Contemporary Art,

London, U.K.

and His Artists, Cultural Center of Contemporary

Computers and Art, Everson

Paris,

Missouri

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California

Kunst aus den achtziger Jahren,

Leo

City,

Museum of Art,

Syracuse,

Art, Polanco,

Mexico

New York

Special Projects Lecture at Yale University,

Drawing workshop and

New Haven, Connecticut

lecture,

Whitney Museum of American Art, Stamford, Connecticut

Drawing workshop with

finalists

from

WNET/13 Student's Art Festival, New York City

Set design and costume concept for Interrupted River, choreography by Jennifer Muller,

music by Yoko Ono, Joyce Theatre,

New York City

Paint permanent outdoor mural at Necker Children's Hospital, Paris, France

Design carousel

for

Luna Luna, a

traveling

amusement park and

Judge Nippon Object Competition, and design

art

street signs for Parco,

Body-paint model for cover of Sckweizer Mustrierte, Monte Carlo,

museum Tokyo, Japan

Monaco

Paint permanent mural at Casino Knokke, Knokke, Belgium Participated in Art Against AIDS,

Paint mural at

Museum

New York City

of Contemporary Art, Antwerp, Belgium

Paint mural for Channel Surf Club, Knokke, Belgium Paint mural at

Team

BBD&O European Headquarters, Diisseldorf, Germany

Children's drawing workshop at Institute of Contemporary Art, London, U.K. Paint mural at

Carmine

Street public

swimming

pool,

New York City

Collaborative mural with Philadelphia Citykids, Pennsylvania Paint permanent mural, Boys Club of New York, 135 Pitt Street,

New York City New Hyde

Permanent murals and sculpture commission, Schneider Children's Hospital, Park,

New York

Artist-in-residence field Hills,

and mural

installation,

Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, Bloom-

Michigan

Drawing workshop, Brookside School, Bloomfield

Hills,

Michigan

Collaborate on two murals and painting workshops with 500 children,

Tama City,

Japan;

paintings donated to permanent collection of Tama City

Design album cover, posters, and limited edition silkscreen

for

A&M

Records'

Very

Special Christmas, proceeds donated to Special Olympics (platinum album, cassette,

and compact

disc)

Books & Catalogues Avant-Garde

in the Eighties. Text:

Howard N. Fox (Los Angeles County Museum of Art,

Los Angeles, California) Kunst aus den achtziger Jahren. Text: Sabine Fehlemann, Raimund Thomas (A

Art

Forum Thomas, Munich, Germany) Comic Iconoclasm. Text: various authors L'Epoque,

La Mode, La

Morale,

(Institute of Contemporary Art,

(Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France)

London, U.K.)

Passion: Aspects de VArt dAujourd'hui, 1977-1987.

Digital Visions: Computers

and

Art.

Text: Cynthia

Goodman

(Harry N. Abrams,

New York) Skulptur Projekte in Miinster 1987. Text: Klaus Bussman, Kasper Konig (Dumont Buchverlag, Cologne, Germany)

Luna Luna.

Essay: Hilde Spiel (Wilhelm

Heyne

Verlag,

Munich, Germany)

1988

JANUARY I

just

left

the

1988

Frank

Stella retrospective (his

second)

MoMA.

A few observations: The anything

big square geometrical paintings (about 12 feet square) look else.

They look like

stereotype

"modern" paintings.

Pure modern, abstract painting, but more than that they seem this

more "pop" than

be a summation of

kind of flat, color-field, abstract, geometrical painting.

Almost a joke about

sumed by

this

kind of painting

The

viewer

overwhelmed and con-

the scale alone.

Colors geometrically, mathematically chosen.

A kind of "making fun" of the painting

process.

The

space in these paintings

completely

flat,

but available to "move" inside of

beckons. Optical illusion (science) makes the painting surface It

and the wall

move and

the space penetrates the

hangs on.

seems more of

a concrete, conceptually

sound comment on

"itself" than

even

Jasper Johns.

A painting of a painting.

A modern joke. Literary joke?

And now

the constructions.

wondering what

can't help

can't help doubting.

Wondering

if this is

Making fun of the

The

a joke, too.

surface of all paintings.

Making fun of the

wall.

going through his mind.

Making fun of the way paintings

rest

the

status of painting in 1987.

choice of color combinations seems deliberately "bad."

Almost seems

he had

need

be "bad" to be "new."

and horrible color combinations seem

be an attempt

as if

The

schlocky paint job

to surpass the Abstract

Expres-

sionists again.

Proving he can do Proving

how

doesn't matter

choice of colors

meaningless the marks look and

at this point, for

him, his task

the "right" elements together with

and the strength of the market and

all

the

more conceptual than

tactile.

puts

"wrong" parts and succeeds because of scale

his "ugliness."

His "ugliness" assures his "newness."

only too "new" and will grow beautiful in time. so he

how haphazard

is.

Proving that all

it.

appears ugly now,

think perhaps

it is

He knows there is no more "risk" for him,

tries to create "risk."

This

Compared

truly scribbling.

one, everyone ...

looks "bad."

ference immediately. He's not

But what does nations ...

that

Tobey, Pollock, Warhol, de Kooning, every-

Wrong colors. Uninspired

dumb. This had

mean?

Glitter paint

gestures.

You can

see the dif-

be intentional!

and muddy, childish art-school color combi-

on purpose.

Technically well-produced. Expensive-looking production. Large scale, expensive materials. Particularly unskillful scribbles.

So,

why? To prove

a point?

Makes Dubuffet's

reiterate the

late

work look elegant and

joke? Making fun of the

art

masterful.

world that

worships him?

A well-planned practical joke? Actually "practical"joke is perfect. It is

"practical" in that

follows

all

the right rules

and breaks

all

the right rules.

The

choices are wise and pre-planned.

Maybe even something profound. But

it is

was the only

infuriating for assholes like artist

Robert Hughes

to say things

about

how

Stella

capable of translating the "graffiti-like" use of garish colors and ges-

That

tures into a successful art work.

and

so tacky. Stella

making

"mess" on purpose

getting credit for using things (ideas) that this critic doesn't understand.

still

uses Stella to dismiss standing. If this is

all

what

the possible "quality" of an entire "stereotyped" misunder-

from what Hughes

Stella got

calls "graffiti,"

then "graffiti" really

bullshit.

They've both missed the point completely. Quality of seeing, quality of life, money, money,

He's playing games with the ket.

art

Stella

money

quality.

world and making practical jokes about the

don't think he thinks his things have anything to

making jokes about

do with

"graffiti,"

and

art

mar-

he does,

he's a fool.

Who

Robert Hughes (Robert

Cares)

another story and not worth thinking about

for too long.

Many of the

constructions are really beautiful.

enjoy looking

them. I just can't

fig-

ure out why. Obviously scale and form and "space" are intricately "worked out" with great results, but

why

"bad" paint job?

the

Will these colors look as good in ten years as Pollock's do

look this bad

they were

I've

seen and done to just throw

to believe that this is "quality"

love paintings too

too

much,

and

much,

it all

away

love color too .

look

at this shit.

respect for

refuse to be forced

much,

love seeing too

much,

love feeling

can't help thinking he's laughing while

much

not.

much, love too much

love art too

Pollock's colors

new?

guess I'm just too obsessed with lines and color and have too

what

when

now? Did

he does these. He's making fun of every-

body. Especially me. I'll

face.

him

grant

And

can't

perfectly in the "All the right

But

this

he knows about constructions and shapes and space and the sur-

that

deny

that the overall "look" of the thing

scheme of things,

is still

very "right" and

doesn't cancel out

and others' use

all

the things he dabbles in

only "halfway." Painting

like this

doesn't have to be "bad" and "ugly" to be "new."

"make fun" of my patterned

surfaces.

and makes jokes about. His

make

second retrospective

In their eyes

the "right"

are several pieces that

world, some

like to believe

critics,

seem

and a blind

faith

Robert Hughes and dismiss oth-

a clear, simple "reading" of art history. Yes, this at

way

can be successful and interesting.

There

The museum

"market-directed" art world would

ers' investigations to

Stella's

moves!"

misuse of overall pattern and colorization does not mean that he did

in the

fits

especially in the market-generated concept of history.

MoMA. They have not even shown one of my

Frank

pieces yet.

don't exist.

To add Winters, I

Inerst, Judy Pfaff, Eric Fischl, etc., etc.

wonder how many people

Well, a

Robin

insult to injury, upstairs in the "collection" they have Barbara Kruger,

Mark

visit

MoMA looking for their Keith

Haring.

New York museum with only one Warhol hanging can't be expected to be too

informative.

At the end of the exhibit, with the works from 1987, that

They

point.

are completely three-dimensional, with cones

a continuation of the perfect "joke" about eral,

modern

comes so

Stella

Some

looks like a sculpture leaning against the wall.

far off the wall

are attached at only

and geodesic

one small

"balls." It

seems

"painting," about "painting" in gen-

and the "surface" and materials and the function of "painting space."

Looking world

1987

at a

will ever

A man walks who gave him

piece,

owned by

the Stedelijk,

me like

this,

me and

says, "Keith, in

embrace

the freedom to

if I will

am wondering

disappear with

opinion

the

museum

my generation.

it is

you, in the early 1980s,

this."

Unfortunately, of course, this

man doesn't work at

the

museum.

POP SHOP OPENING TRIP WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1988 Wake up a joint

late,

pack, stop at Dr. Goldberg's for a blood

on the way, knowing

one

the last

it's

test

for three weeks.

turquoise) at an airport shop that sells American Indian

Airplane ride

make

the

uneventful.

4-hour

flight

Switzerland in October.

buy

Smoke

rings (silver

and

Are these wedding rings?

the plane

picked up a copy of Der Spiegel to in a chair, that

had "posed"

for in

kind of advertisement for an expensive furniture maker.

stewardness saw the picture

the magazine

a full-page picture of

It is

stuff.

to the airport.

have seats on the upper deck. Three Valiums to help

go quickly.

browse through and found

The

and rush

had ripped out and

tried to find

another copy of

on the plane, but couldn't.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 We woke up

8:00

to find a

and want

our room, hoping

but of course they were not cute. But

thrilled

them and

said they are staying at the hotel for the best,

signed their cards and explained

postcard under our door from two "Japan boys,"

we had

and went away quite happy

after a

meet

us.

called

to eat breakfast

and go

few photographs.

invited

still

"work."

who

them

very nice.

They were

10:00 AM:

outdoor sign box the

met Pop Shop people

for the

Shop.

Pop Shop. They looked

process of being "finished."

imagined them, except

Hard

and a nice sign box

similar to the

Bowery

food and

with Sato

of the merchandise

lot

to believe they'll to paint in the

Juan

Pop Shop,

really great,

was exciting and

found

the display plastic

listed at

frustrating at the

$600. Also the

my jackets

showed me about

staff

Tokyo Pop Shop.

say.

original party location) last

from

New

York

The most

dis-

Pop Shop party next Tuesday. Junior's

comp

I'm allowed 50

change of location

tak-

Le Train

magazines with "advance

six

not even on the invitation, and the cost of the party

to the last-minute

time.

of small

Kwong has been

looked pretty good.

same

lot

Paris birthday dinner at

brought an issue of Popeye with one of

also

hold only 500 people, they

due

all

but miscommunication caused a

turbing thing was problems with plans for the

fun looking at

return with a copy of the magazine that

press" mentions and photos for

house

wholesale kitchen-supply neighborhood

ing "dinner" pictures for that had three pages of

name

and an

very "raw," and were in the

still

be ready in two more days.

Kwong Chi had

York.

at four o'clock

Kwong and Juan

problems.

Bleu.

lanterns, a lucky cat,

stuff.

The meeting

New

buy

First they took us to see the "containers" that will

great lanterns

to take us to

3,500 yen. The club

invitations.

Much

will

of the confusion

for the party, since the disaster at Turia (the

week.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 Woke up and

right to

shit is just as

me, but

much

the "art market" at

people

I'll

gotten paid by

all

and just do

is.

art

market and

Sometimes

in the

I'd rather not deal

with

commercial world. Once the

"above"

"artists" think they are

and outside of the "commercialization" of pop

and have "dealers" who manipulate them and

think

it is

this situation

the art-

basically the

because they

culture, because they don't

mass market. But they

leries

of payment doesn't

New York to check it out. The gallery

"product" or a "commodity," the compromising position

Some

for the paint-

my own work. There isn't much difference between

advertising or create products specifically for a

ting

Hans Mayer

The amount

at a big discount.

of a pain in the ass as the Shop

both worlds.

are "pure"

finally

have to wait to return to

have to deal with in the

work becomes same

Tony has

bought three months ago

ings he

sound

read Julia's fax.

their

work

the

sell

things in gal-

same way. In

fact, I

even more deceptive to pretend you are outside of this system instead of admit-

and

actually participating in

world than on Madison Avenue. In

in a "real" way.

fact,

it is

There

no more "purity"

even more corrupt.

The

in the art

Big Lie.

Keith Haring, Harajuku. Tokyo,

1988

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24 Wake up and go

buy

brush

Tokyu Hands and look

at chalk.

Trying

to find a

big piece (or pieces) to draw with on the street in Harajuku for photos for Friday

magazine.

could only find regular size chalks, so

meet the photographers from Friday

and then we

the red circle

for pedestrians

added bodies

to paint

huge crowd gathered. gar."

found

him, he

left

bought an

at the container.

entire box. I

painted the

had

first

this

to "rectangular"

policeman

left to

white markings on the street and

tried to I

etc. After the

make us

to the

drawings "vul-

was drawing skateboarders and

a large

photographer explained and persuaded

got great pictures and

head up

stop, calling

handed out buttons and did auto-

main part of Harajuku, where the dancers

concentrated, a crowd of kids followed us for autographs. Kind of a procession,

movies.

are like

returned to the hotel and showered quickly and met

to the

coat

headed toward Harajuku. Underneath an overpass

amusing, considering

us alone.

When we

the Pied Piper

boxes indicating parking positions. Almost immediately a

"mother and child" image,

graphs.

1:00

did several chalk drawings using the existing street markings as a

starting point.

all

We went to

see

Ann Magnuson

Kwong and

in Jimmy

his friend Yoshi to

Rcardon with River Phoenix.

was cool

movie, but

we went

be watching

to it

Ann

in a

movie

Tokyo.

in a theatre in

had some funny parts and River Phoenix

to eat at a fun restaurant that only served

wasn't a very good

pretty hot. After the

movie

one thing, and then went home

the hotel.

MONDAY, JANUARY Woke up

heard

hotel. I've

2 5,

8 8

8:30 to the sound of a brass marching band playing in the street outside the this

sound

explanation of why or what

from Tacey asking

if I

in the it is.

morning before

fell

could come

in this hotel,

but have never heard an

back asleep and woke up to the container [the

9:45 to a phone

Tokyo Pop Shop was con-

structed out of two shipping containers joined in an "L" formation] and meet about I

thought

make

agreed to meet there

sure, so

was

trations

getting a

little

had already explained

ing the floor.

feelings

about

work on

paint to

try to resolve the

the sign for the gate

gate sign

on top of the roof of the container and then

Kaz and

lecture in the

quickly.

The

morning were

effective since

etc., etc. Finally

out

let

seriously.

and the red

New

circle.

York.

frus-

now

things

new

went

seemed

Juan had

worked on

started the red circle.

carpenters arrived and put in the

yard arrived, the gate went up,

problems. After meeting and

agreed to go to the airport to meet the people coming from

done very

fix-

wanted

10:30.

on Kaz. He assured me we'd

but

this,

nervous about the progress of the container and

stressing the importance of the deadline, people started to take

the hotel to get

call

the that

be getting

floor, the stones for the

looks like this thing

is really

going to

happen.

Kwong Chi

arrived as

and he had good

stories of

was finishing the red

circle.

one shop

there.

ning that said underneath unintelligible phrases.

had been

to the

showers and hairless bodies. I'm looking forward

swimming tomorrow. We walked home through Harajuku. T-shirts in

said he

"Run Away

going

found several funny fake

One particularly funny one had a copy it,

pool

of my baby sort of run-

Children." Others had copies of drawings and

got back to the hotel, and then the

phone

The New York

rang.

crew had arrived. Everyone walked through Shibuya and looked group,

all

together: Junior short, white

one and everything

(yes,

Miss

Girl);

and

sort of comical

everyone thinks

neon

signs.

New

all

every-

an adorable

York Puerto Rican; Brian [Mclntyre],

Eddie Murphy; Kwong Chi, who everyone thinks

actually not very Japanese-looking at

We're quite a

and always snapping

Adolfo [Arena] looking mulatto and

teddy bear; Jessica [Gines] pretty, and very

who

at the

Japanese but

me; Juan, forever handsome with a

chameleon

face that adapts to every place

or in this case part Japanese; and

Everyone

where there

tired so

we head back

Big River theme

this

month and

Moroccan,

Brazilian,

quick stop

Mister Donut,

Tom On the bags there is a pastel drawing whole place

the

realistic.

with Harry Belafonte.

raft

making him look

go,

to the hotel. First a

Sawyer decor, some of it cartoon and some of Tom Sawyer on a

(no comment).

swear

God,

it's

covered with

his face.)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26 Wake up

to the

band sounds

behind the hotel and really

good.

Today we discovered

again.

8:30 every morning,

CBS

called the

correspondent

it is

who

the marching is

There

the source:

band

covering the

a school

rehearsal. They're

Shop opening

for

CBS

Morning News and went over our shooting schedule.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27 I

got to the container around 3:30

began

to paint the walls

The fumes

drips of paint

started covering the floors with the

They had gotten a gas

me nauseous and

the

Pop Shop "cute boy" employee, was

the floor.

Adolfo [Arena] arrived

ceiling.

of the gas were making

expected. Taka, the

ish. Juan

and

was

blower-heater to dry the paint.

work was not going

assisting

starting to feel sick

I'd stop painting instead

shot footage and

now

and had diarrhea and didn't want

another crew from a show called

PM wanted

up my

in cleaning

of finishing the whole inside tonight.

myself to paint some more for the

Taka gave me shiatsu

as fast as

the time Juan, Jessica [Gines], Brian [Mclntyre]

didn't appreciate Taka, and Brian immediately started to put the

decided

paper and then

and

to fin-

move on Taka.

CBS

had already

to shoot.

forced

crew, and then finished for the night. Sato and

to try to relieve the

pain in

neck and shoulder from painting the

ceiling.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28 Wake up

early

ing goes O.K.

and go

the display cases getting

to the

Shop

resume painting.

feel

much

don't use the dryer because of the fumes.

and

begin the

more annoyed about

this

floor. Brian, Jessica

The

and Juan

better today, staff

visit.

and keep asking what's wrong.

and paint-

begins to work in

Adolfo doesn't. I'm

seems Junior and

Adolfo are complaining about being here and not having a good time. I'm tiying centrate

on painting, but am

getting

concerned about the

situation.

the time

to conI

take a

break from doing the floor and go outside with Juan, Jessica and Brian, I'm feeling

exhausted but also exhilarated by progress on the Shop.

how amazing it

how much

icize the staff for "cutting

resolved. off

blow up and

because

ment.

"Fuck you,

block

time,

myself

had

I've

when he

food

ignore him. Brian stays, and Jessica and Juan leave.

about four hours

finish painting

on very thick so

to a small restaurant to eat

asleep

and

FRIDAY, JANUARY Wake up

Kwong and

Brian are already at the

am on my

way.

blower and

still

mad about

the press conference at 12:30,

When

try to

Shop and

in four

and begin

plays.

seemingly

finish,

because

this point,

and

that the floor

turn

although they're not

make sure

start taking

is still

wet.

on the gas heater-

tacky.

The Formica

photos on the dry

side.

nervous because the Shop must be ready

off.

continue making

staff arrives

stockroom and outside. At 10 o'clock we

rather hectic since

want

much

New

finish

and design

to oversee

York crew

around

our pho-

all

the dis-

arrives with

help, either. Press begins to arrive,

AP photographer. exhausted, and return to the hotel. to Adolfo's

hearing second-hand.

trip

O.K. but parts are

working well under pressure, however.

go immediately

too early.

in the

It is

was putting

Brian, Julia

Adolfo

call

yet.

"display."

Shop with

bringjunior and Jessica.

The

less attitude,

At 7:00

although the electricity keeps shutting

Everyone

including an

Chi.

him

hours and no display of products has been done

8:30, and begins working tos

tell

call to alert

dry the paint. Most of the floor

installation photos,

good

like a

his "attitude" earlier.

arrive they are outside the container.

dryer seems to be working, but everyone

open

Kwong

and

counter and poster display counter are really wet.

The

be around

2 9

he'll at least

to crit-

return to the hotel totally beat at 2:30 AM. Juan

6:45 to do the installation shots with

sounds

1:00 AM, totally exhausted.

later at

returns to the

would be more durable. Kaz, Kwong,

avoid him in bed because I'm

his only reply

reconsider his idea of a "divorce."

out and continue working, but

try to

and

and don't want

the floor paint

comment to Juan about

don't want to hear that now." I'm really pissed-

idea.

this

ass off and he only has criticism instead of encourage-

street alone, telling

anymore.

like this

little

make

corners" and to point out some small details that aren't

been working

I've

go across the

someone

say,

has gotten done in so

room

to discuss

all

the "attitude"

and complaints

keep

denies everything, of course, except that Junior feels he came

really pissed.

thought they'd

Who like

asked Junior to come so early?

it,

not to do

me any favor. I wish

suggested a ten-day

they had never

and assure him they can both leave whenever they want. I'm too

come

tired to

through the whole thing with Junior right away and we're expected soon.

But dinner point everyone

want

meet

for dinner

our room. is is

disastrous.

to a nice Italian restaurant near

already taking sides and being defensive.

in Japan

It is split

Harajuku. By

and those who don't, with some exceptions on both

sides.

this

who

between those

People are

already tired of each other, in particular Junior and Brian and Julia and Junior and Adolfo,

and everyone Brian,

Kaz and Fran, and I'm

in the middle. Juan

frustration with the inability to cope. seats to

Kwong and Julia

ofJessica's mouth.

tired

are at

table.

furious to find

realizing there

common knowledge

almost a

After dinner, while

assures

point

me am

in front of him

comments from Junior about Juan and me not having

dinner manners and loud mouth full still

all

week

at this

add up

end of the

table)

Julia lets

not to worry, although of course

acci-

sex (which

and Jessica's obnoxious

I'm beginning to freak out

to a horrible meal.

go and no pleasant end

at the table,

either side, but changes

This comment along with Brian's

stupid mistake of eating Juan's food just because the waiter put dent, and several snide

table with

stuck in between and suffers from

doesn't want to be

be away from the "intellectual" end of the

one end of the

in sight.

me know more worrying.

of her feelings and

finally leave.

this

angry with Juan again because of the dinner conversation. Three days with-

out sex and

major

bored again and angry and confused and

issue. I'm

feel

betrayed.

We walk home and on the way Juan finds a stuffed donkey toy in the trash and wants in my (our) room. By the time we reach to bring it with us. I'm fed up and don't want the hotel it is worse. We all go to Adolfo's room and watch this stupid TV show that did a it

story about the Shop.

with show

girls.

The

After the

coverage

pretty

show Juan and

dumb, a

to the

sleazy

room.

game-show type atmosphere

stomach hurts (probably

from nerves) and I'm pissed about the dinner conversation. I'm determined, now,

make our non-sex an issue, by continuing to avoid contact with Juan.

to sleep

almost immediately.

SATURDAY. JANUARY 30 8:30:

wake up hearing Juan

assume he

getting

tend to be asleep and

10:00

get

in the

to take a let

him

walk or give

up and shower and shave and head

waiting fans, nobody.

a scare

leave, subconsciously

the big "opening day" to the public.

shower and fumbling around

CBS News

When

to the

his clothes,

by disappearing

all

day.

and pre-

wishing he'd leave for good. At

Shop

arrive, there

for

what

no one

supposed

there,

lines,

there again to film the anticipated crowds. Obvi-

ously the advance publicity never reached the right people. Last night's

not exactly what I'd

Friday magazine

good

call

publicity.

The

bumped by

popular weekly) were

we did

four photo shoots

opening, so

and fans

the autograph-seekers

I've

for

a chief editor for "political" rea-

sons. Apparently people were not aware of the fact that I'd be at the all

show was

weekend

last

Shop

day on the

all

been encountering everywhere

weren't aware of the "opening."

People trickle Feeling guilty,

fast.

in.

call

a short

TV interview and then go to the NY diner for break-

the hotel to find

the

Shop. Kwong and Julia

me.

Juan and leave

wrong and they explain Juan

ask what's

message

for

him

come

looking distressed, and talk to Kaz, trying to avoid

arrive,

a plane to

New York.

wasn't really

expecting him to actually leave. I'm sort of shaking and trying to act "normal," but have lost

my composure.

and

try to rationalize.

Absolut.

They

take a Valium I'd brought, anticipating a hectic day of signing,

all

know. Junior, Adolfo and Brian are persuaded

tour to the Imperial Palace. Jessica stays

and comforts me while

and smile and sign autographs. The attendance Jessica

and

he boarded a

Chicago and

stay with Paul in Puerto Rico. to the

Shop and

try to

I'll

visit

didn't take anything

mind.

probably see them next week

try to

go on a

be pleasant

on the plane. They say

to see if he really got

assume he's going

— keys, money, etc.

We do some photos and

for a while.

New York at the reopening of Studio

I tell

54, where

they are performing. Meeting with the ceramics guy who's working on the rice bowls. hotel with Junior, Jessica, Brian

out in the

when he

room and

call

JAL

Junior) and go to Boogie

drunk and being

to try to leave

Boy

fun, dancing.

afterward,

SUNDAY, JANUARY I

have to be awake for an

and find

difficult to

my room

At 4:30

1:00

taxi

31 AM

at the

— drinking Absolut. We hang

an emergency message in Chicago for Juan

will try.

where we

We all

all

in the

interview at the Shop. to hotel

— there

to eat in

Shinjuku (except

get smashed. Julia

home around 3:00

be "cute." Return

probably never looked

and Adolfo on the subway

changing planes. They say they

have to return

have meetings and sign autographs. At

and hang out

a bottle

constant, but sparse.

going to transfer to San Juan.

preoccupy

around 7:00 the Cover Girls

them

JAL

to the hotel to call

flight to

Adolfo, Junior and Jessica arrive. Adolfo brings

obviously

especially

morning.

preoccupied with Juan

no message from Juan, but he

message board in Chicago. Eat lunch with Jessica and then

to write.

in the

morning Juan

needed time away and says

need

calls.

He's

Nicky's house.

decide what

want. This

He is

says he's sorry, but

true.

says

should

spend time alone

and

him

tell

each other have

really

New

York when

love each other.

New

Leave

York

minute

I still

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but

it's

was

Rationally

him.

visiting

from

Paris, so

didn't get in (too

full),

think

need some time

all

went

we went

will

never work

to think,

night, almost,

guess.

and packing

dinner with him and then

to the

to the studio to visit.

The

entire

and powerful

but the message

itself,

concept of culture

World. Stayed a while and

Seems

I'm going away for

fabricated by an

full

to ignore or

been whitewashed and "explained" through is still

who happen

wasn't

of this

all

what they say

homage may be

their concepts

succeed are merely

Artists are, of course, allowed

But

It is

dition of being a

paid, but only after

has

curiosities.

only more subtle. Artists pretend to be independent. liberties

little

makes the control nothing new.

suppose,

Naturally,

and "cultural evaluations."

less

and even encouraged

feel

1988

be "subversive" and it is

strengthened.

new when Dubuffet wrote about

hopeless and confused.

human being

obvious while in actuality

wasn't

new when Jesus spoke of it. But Dubuffet and Jesus

That's why,

it is.

somehow forgotten and

being manipulated by and for the wealthy, educated white minor-

Nothing has changed,

"political"; this only

and dominance.

of "objective observations" that present

exclude from "their history"

out of their "culture." Periodically, token

others

frighteningly

power/money conspiracy

elitist,

to insure their control

"history" books are

themselves as fact. But the "culture" has been invented.

whatever they choose

Any

recorded, explained and supported by the wealthy

no more than another way

The museums and

In short, art

and

clear as a bell

Church, ruling parties, and the "powers-that-be" in general. The very

concept of an Official Culture that

ity.

tell

he's O.K., but

only a week.

and repeats

tied to the Catholic

left

knowing

just finished reading Jean Dubuffet's Asphyxiating Culture (a recent translation).

sort of rambles

true.

really love

home, and we both

to get

better

9:00 for airport after having been up

went home. Last night everyone came a long time

I feel

me to do.

concerned about his well-being

198 8

2 2,

as usual. Alain

Studio 54, but

am most

an hour.

decide what's the best thing for

FRIDAY, JULY

says he'll wait for

talk for

out perfectly, but on the other hand,

last

return.

house keys.

to get the

It is

couldn't escape

a never-ending cycle.

bad enough, but the

gift

it,

and

either.

The

of being an

con-

artist is

equally hopeless. I

mean, what can

promising.

accomplish, really?

are being controlled.

The

situation

find myself in

roots of this control are so

deep

not very

that they are

completely disguised and part of everything: language, "culture," geography, religion, the

economy, technology,

So what?

How

can

matter

can see

it,

The world knows

how many oppose

AIDS, talists: it's

The

a lot of

too big and

world

art

too

it's

is just

Try

expose

able.

Hiroshima, paint

for teens, try to

going

and

to the

things are changing faster

And from in a

here

am.

try to

now

1988 and

few hours

as strong as ever.

little

bear-

do an AIDS book cover

paint what you see and

feel.

goes on and on, but

faster.

mean, picture I

this:

Picture the Earth

was on one side yesterday and

be on the other

I'll

things a

The world

a distance as this big ball.

it is

fundamen-

things to feed the situa-

little

make

P.S. 97,

and

model or metaphor of the Big

USSR,

go down.

King was speaking against

late.

these

tion.

exists

a small is

But, take South Africa for example:

wrong: journalists, protests, books, songs, moviesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; no

it's

it, it

it.

exists? Dr.

still

crack, military escalations, elections,

Control. All you can

But shit

people can see

be possible that apartheid

years ago.

history, education, everything, everything.

side.

trip that

would have

taken months (or years) a few hundred years ago.

We same

go forward, we have the means, but we're

situation.

still

necessary.

By any means

necessary.

By any means

necessary.

dinner to

in the

1988

2 4,

can't go

still

fightin'.

By any means

JULY I

And we

talk

with Fran and Kaz about the future of the Pop Shop.

at the level

it is

and

still

make money. The money Toko

paid back so that they can be permanently cut

off.

Toko has been "faking"

agement the whole time and pocketing money, trying not a pretty picture. We're trying to

settle

seems

invested has to be their

man-

recoup their investment.

It's

on the balance we owe them without prose-

cuting them.

start

over

we need money. Money

Shop. Sales are declining or are stabilized to

do with

this,

but

don't think that's

it.

at a

produce goods and money low

level. All the fakes

Kaz wants

move

the

maintain the

may have something

Shop

Hokkaido

(in

Sapporo) as

kind of franchise and then open a permanent shop in Tokyo. There are

several possibilities to pursue. All of this

Japan?

same

time.

Can

depressing and unnerving.

know

it's

the only

way

can make

handle a more complex situation in

money and

really penetrate the culture at the

think of all the options and consider giving up.

MONDAY, JULY 25 Couldn't sleep very well.

Shop dilemma. To

insure a future here

way, which means to

can get people

involved

come

much because

if I

want

the

to the

the

in a

more Japanese

don't think

tired of the things

And

all

the fakes.

because

company

unless a bigger

pursue

just have to hire

mass-produced K. Haring, and

someone

seem

New

there are fake

suppose

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or find a way to be less involved, but

be involved or not I

Shop

Shop, especially

of all the imitations.

an agent or manager for the "things."