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| Recently we
visited our friends, fred flare supermodel Hillary
and her husband John, to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer and discovered an original Warhol print on the wall that knocked our socks off! We laughed at Hillary’s telling of how they got it and thought you might, too. |
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| We bought a Warhol. A huge print by Andy
Warhol now hovers above our couch in our living room, just hanging out. When we first brought it home we stared at it for hours. It took us a while just to remove the bubblewrap. Our cats were more eager than we were. So it's hanging above our couch and it's so darn huge. But in relation to everything else in our living room it's pretty much in proportion. It relates nicely to our oversized couch and our too big TV, all of which just fit into our too little East Village apartment. It's my husband, Jonathan. He just likes nice stuff, preferably BIG. So it was pretty much all him, why we bought this original Warhol print, something most people do because they saved money, or because they have an excess of it. We’re in neither category. We're just an average working couple, except now we’re paying off a Warhol on Mastercard. So here's how it goes… Since we’re both designers we've always enjoyed art. On occasion we’ve casually strolled into galleries and imagined actually owning something. But living where we are, we barely save $$. And we tend to spend more than we earn. I try to be anal with our budget but Jon’s way more adventurous, suggesting one more vacation, one more video game, a new surround sound system. So one day we had a mission: something for above the couch. We started out at the Chelsea flea market looking for a nice frame or maybe an old mirror. Somehow we ended up wandering downtown to a gallery. Jon suggested it. So in this gallery we meet this hip old school punk guy now working as an art dealer who was super helpful. I could see Jon's eyes lighting up, ready to make a purchase that second, ready for the big stuff. The dealer suggested we check out an art auction: free food, wine, and lots of art. Sounds good. He said the bids start at half the original price. Ok, so we try it out at the Grand Hotel in Grand Central Station. I was kinda nervous,.. well, really nervous. I needed a drink. I needed a couple. At least it was a random crowd so we didn't feel too out of place. There was an interesting mix of people, from Mr. SnazzyPants to Joe Schmo. And the art, everything from Picasso to early 80’s graffiti. I was wandering, looking around, yet feeling nauseous because I can sense by looking at Jon that we've become potential buyers. We both like this Lichtenstein. And then we see the Warhol. 3 apples. The colors are amazing. Jon asks what I think. How should I know?! I'm with it for 15 minutes and do I wanna spend all this money we have yet to earn on it? Money that we're supposed to be saving to maybe buy an apartment or something logical? The hip art dealer is there for us. He tells us the Lichtenstein is reproduced every year, but the Warhol is a great investment. He said we'd get it for opening bid. Wow, we're really doing this? Well, Jon’s already across the room putting a to-be-bid-on tag on the print. I'm staring off at the cheese plate. Going for round 5 at the bar. Now, Jon, you sure about this? We really just came here to feel it out, to learn, etc. He says he's 30 years old and makes good money and blah blah blah, justifying to his structured Virgo wife that we can do this. Ok. but you're not allowed to outbid anyone. Semi-comfort. We are now sitting and Jon's to my right with his bid card on his lap. Oh my god the first painting goes up. I can't hear but someone got it, and I remember clapping. Ok, just gotta get used to this. Second one goes up. I'm still trying to breathe. Third one goes up, it's our Warhol already!!!! "Cosmic Fruit by Andy Warhol," they say, starting at… a lot of our money. I can't look to my right because I'm frozen. Out of the corner of my eye I see Jon raise his card. Do I hear even more money being spent? What's going on? I have no clue. Did someone bid against him? I can't move my neck. I wish I were more drunk. " Sold to number, uhhh, can you raise your card? Sold to number 561!" Clapping. People turning to look at us. Jon is gleaming. I am hyperventilating. I have to get out of here. We get up, charge it, they wrap it up and we're out. Jon and the Warhol barely fit into a taxi van. I'm following behind in a total daze. Did we really just do that? That fast? That easy? After a while we got over the shock. Jon hung it and I spent time with it. And now I absolutely love it. It's become a part of our home, of our lives. And a reminder to me to just go for it and live a little. Be spontaneous and have fun. And if you can't, have someone else do it for you! 10/2002 |
