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.
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!
