BASQUIAT first started making calling cards in 1976. My colleague, Norman Scherer is
the owner of 40, which were given to him by Jean Michel. They befriended each other while both working at Canal Jeans. The two of them would wander to Washington Square Park on their lunch/weed break, and get totally stoned. Norman had alot of weed, always—Jean gifted him a card as a thank you, everyday for 40 days.
The Story: Norman came about these, all wrapped up in a locked box, that he forgot about, in 2004, alerted me & The NY Times, right away, (who subsequently wrote a big story). In 2010 I decided we needed to make further strides and introduced Mr. Scherer to Gracie Mansion.
She immediately stepped in with her expertise while still the Senior Sales Advisor at Artnet. She catapulted their existence and are now in a traveling exhibition going from China and South Korea to other parts of Asia, not yet disclosed.
These went from being an unsellable anti-product, slowly changing to ephemera, consequently changing their worth. Before I asked Gracie to step in, I sold 10 pricing them from $5-$20K. Norman and I both knew we needed a champion to save them. The price has now jumped to $100K or as the market will bear.
Norman has saved 4 cards for me to sell, when the show is finished traveling.
Huzzahs all around.
The Lost Cards -
BASQUIAT - Signed lower right
LONGHOUSE SUMMER BENEFIT
2022
Antony Micallef | Maryam Eisler
2023
NORWOOD PRIVATE ARTS CLUB
241 W 14 St NY NY | Dec-March, 2021
Lucy de Kooning Villeneuve ~Christopher Makos ~ Curtis KulIig
Peter Dayton ~ Katrina Del Mar ~ Blair Seagram ~ Kacper Abolik
3 DAY WEEKEND
THE FIREPLACE PROJECTS - SPRINGS FIREPLACE ROAD - SEPT/OCT 2021
Curated by
PAMELA WILLOUGHBY
Artists
MAX BLAGG - DANTE CANNATELLA
DIANNE BLELL - AURELIO TORRES
DON CHRISTENSEN - SASKIA FRIEDRICH
ROBIN GIANNIS - HIROYUKI HAMADA
NATHAN JOSEPH - NOEL DE LESSEPS
VICTORIA DE LESSEPS - JO SHANE
MATT MAGEE - KATRINA DEL MAR
MAYNARD MONROW, SABRA MOON
NICOLE NADEAU - WARREN NEIDICH
LUCY de KOONING VILLENEUVE