WHATADUMP

VINCE 56x28 Acrylic on Canvas

At one time we lived on Accabonac Highway, The Springs, in East Hampton. About a hop and a hoe handle down the road (one of my mates' favorite expressions) was the East Hampton Town Dump. ......Sorry, they're now landfills.

It was a fun place to cruise and peruse................ Sorry, it's now called dumpster diving.

The town finally noticed that more things were leaving than coming in, and put a stop to the shopping. You'd think they'd be grateful. I was happy to discover lots of discarded window screens, strong and solid and even cross-braced. Stretchers for paintings at the time were either custom made, therefore expensive, or very lightweight. I cut out the screening, put lattice wood around the edges to off-set the canvas, and stretched away. I adapted to the sizes by doing figures such as Vince.

To add some pizazz to the open shirt (oh please) I added crosses and used gold leaf on one. Oddly, I was told later by someone who knew him, (I didn't) that he usually wore a cross on a chain, but not on the day that I took the photo. I think it was in Montauk. I had a studio/gallery there one summer. Don't ask.