He was smart and funny...

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He was smart and funny... but this has never been depicted in any book or movie. He loved all animals, never carried or used a credit card, always ordered the same lunch for all of his guests and always asked if there were any good invitations in the mail, yet it hadn't arrived yet to find out. Who am I talking about? ....Andy Warhol. Who else? Today, I went to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Andy Warhol in the Last Decade show, and today Brigid Berlin and Vincent Fremont were talking and sharing memories about Andy.

Brigid was one of the first Factory girls, and is the last one still alive; she is almost 71. She worked at all four of Andy's factories throughout Manhattan. She and Andy became the best of friends, yet she hated his paintings and always told him so. He always asked her what she wanted for Christmas each year, and would say "Gee Brig, do you want a painting?" She's always say "No, Andy, I hate your paintings." One year, she asked for an electrolux vaccum, so he said "go buy it and bring me the receipt." The next year, she asked for and received a washer/dryer combo machine. Another year, he gave her a painting of pointsettas - she displayed it and after the holidays she threw it away because she not only hated his work, but she hated pointsettas. Brigid talked about how she's bring her dogs to the Factory at times, and she always loved and had pugs. One time, she had a new four month old pug puppy she brought with her to work, and it was wandering around the Factory before Andy got there. When Andy arrived, he walked around and once in the back, he called to Brigid - their was a canvas Andy had laying on the floor ready to paint, but the dog had walked all over it and peed on it. Brigid said, "I guess this means I get a pink slip today." But on the contrary, Andy said, "No - I love it!" ...and there began the oxidation series (or as it was called in the beginning, the "piss paintings"). He began telling everyone to come to work having to pee so he could have them all "contribute" to the canvases. After a bit, he told some to start taking vitamin B because it will turn urine a more orange color, resulting in different tones of oxidation on the canvas.

A prior assistant of Andy's was in the audience and he got up to ask the question Andy would have asked. He said, "How much did you get paid to be here today, Brig?" ...it ended up as $500. The museum sent a car to pick her up, but she had no car to get home.

Yesterday, I went to the Strand (my all time favorite bookstore) to hear Chuck Close speak along side of the author who wrote a new biography about himself. It was a great discussion and they both signed the books afterwards. The one thing Chuck Close talked about in great detail that I had never known before was that he suffers from facial amnesia. I had no idea what this was - so thankfully, he explained.... he might meet someone, sit and have a meal with them - but the next day, he has no idea who they are because he can't recognize them. This is one of the reasons that contribute to him only painting his friends, family and fellow artists. He memorizes 2-D images since he's continually painting from them - but he doesn't do commissioned work because of the amnesia.

I went to the Guggenheim Museum. One of my favorite museums - what I'm most amazed with every time I'm there is that everyone walks in and spirals up to view the work. However, the way Frank Lloyd Wright designed the museum was that you'd take the elevator to the top, then spiral down. I wasn't so impressed with the shows they have up right now, but it was good to go.

What's next in my adventure? .....Hmmm.... we'll see, but I guarantee there will be more art!

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Photos

Brigid Berlin
One of the Chelsea Girls and could always be found in Studio 54 with Andy.

At the Strand...
It's quite crowded in the rare book room for the discussion with Chuck Close.