My Wonderful Week of Art

I went to a David Sedaris talk and book signing tonight. As I was walking up to the bookstore on Prince Street in Soho, I saw the HUGE line of people halfway around the block. Pal Rebecca sent me a message wondering where I was, she was already inside. I walked in and made my way through the crowd and there she was in the very front row, an empty chair saved next to her. It was like Christmas, from the perspective of getting a great seat. After signing books for an hour and a half Sedaris read from his latest book, Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls. He was hilarious. So warm and entertaining, and he stayed to sign a million more books afterwards. And, I spoke with him and gave him some photos of his sister Amy I had taken a few years ago.

A strange little man--he would occasionally reach into a tote bag after signing someone's book and give them a little bottle of lotion or shampoo taken from some random hotel he had recently stayed in, or maybe offer a little piece of chocolate from an open box lying on the desk in front of him. He's very engaging, speaking with everyone and seemingly interested in one's answers to his questions.

Rebecca and I left around 8:00 and walked to a local favorite Italian place and had Penne a la Vodka that was to die for, a huge caesar salad (split both) and a freezing cold beer. Even with the split I took home half--so much food. Walked out at only $22 each. Awesome. Going down the steps to the subway, it came almost immediately, I hopped on the A train and was home by 10:30ish. A perfect night.

Big sign as you walked into the event: "No Photos Allowed". Stealth snap...I could have been a spy.

The place was packed...upstairs and downstairs. Someone said it was the largest turnout for an author ever (there, not ever ever).

Thursday night was art night (as usual). First stop was the Jeff Koons opening. Standing in that line (20 minutes) I decided that when I die and go to heaven (fat chance), I'm going to ask Jesus how this happens. Guy makes giant sculptures that look like balloon animals and becomes the richest artist alive. And, he doesn't actually do anything, he just tells people to make them. Here's the number one star/artist Jeff Koons with the number one art dealer, Larry Gagosian.

 Getting closer... in line with the masses. No line cutting for me... moooooo.

Koons showing his 4-year-old daughter how daddy has become a multi-millionaire making phallic-looking balloon sculptures on a grand scale. 

This is the Dennis Hopper show I hit on Tuesday night at Gagosian's uptown gallery. Here's my take on this show: Dennis Hopper the actor (and sometimes amateur photographer) shoots a bunch of photographs from 1961-1967 with a Nikon his wife buys him for his birthday. At some point he tosses some 400 crappy, cheap, machine made prints into a box. Yes, a few are nice and a few are of famous people like Jane Fonda and Paul Newman but all the rest are nothing more than snapshots of daily life. Dennis Hopper dies in May 2010 and someone goes through his estate, finds the box of photos and decides this is genius and puts them up for sale. No frames, bent edges, flat lifeless prints. Go figure.

The scene at Gagosian's roof deck on 77th St. and Madison Ave. There were two shows that night, Cecily Brown and Hopper. I didn't enjoy either. I did however enjoy the atmosphere, the wine and the people watching. It was good for that.