Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Inspiration from New York, Circa 1971

I recently read this feature in New York Magazine on punk goddess Patti Smith's new memoir Just Kids, which she wrote about the time she spent running around New York in her 20s (the 1970s) with her once-lover-turned-gay-best-friend (yep) and fellow artist Robert Mapplethorpe. If you have any free time, it's worth investing it in this story. This woman doesn't let a word escape her lips that is not thoughtful and poetic. She's 62 and claims to still be working to create her great life's work. Living and working as a "creative" 20something in New York in 2010, I of course found the piece interesting as a comparative study.

In addition to loving the story, I have become obsessed with this photograph. I have looked at it for at least an hour. As I flipped through other pages in the magazine, I found myself compelled to turn back to this one page, just to stare at this one photograph.

 
The caption below the photo reads: Smith and Mapplethorpe on their West 23rd Street fire escape, 1971.

I'm obsessed with it for several reasons. 1. Everything about it screams New York. And not the new New York, but the old New York; the New York we'll never get back, the New York of the pre-fame artist, the New York of Andy Warhol and Janis Joplin, Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, renting out rooms in Chelsea Hotel and living off whatever money they could make at their counter jobs, doing drugs and smoking cigs and drinking and creating amazing art just because they wanted to create. 2. Every time I look at it, I see something new. It took me several views to realize that Robert's right foot is actually not touching the fire escape. It looks like he's levitating, which seems appropriate. Writing this just now, I notice that Patti's fly is unzipped. XYZ Patti! 3. It was totally candid. 4. They're clearly fucking badasses and I want to be them.

I feel that I am entering into a new stage of my life where I want to explore everything and try everything. I want to listen to every kind of music that exists (just because). I want to read a gazillion books (just because). I want to stand around outside bars on the Lower East Side and smoke menthols, (just because I do it sometimes when I drink, and I always want to be those beautiful punk girls who let the smoke glide between their thick red lips while they talk). I want to get tattoos and then sort of regret them later (but not really because I'll just remember wanting to memorialize something that was important to me at the time). I want to make new friends, some of whom I'll never forget (and others I'll never remember). I want to write until I pass out. I want to use art to celebrate where I'm from. In short, I want to recreate (my version of) Patti's New York.

I want to remember that one day, I will look back on these young minutes and realize how special they were, and how important. I can't know now why they're important, but one day, if I'm real lucky, I will.

"...[Patti] was in the room in the Chelsea when Kris Kristofferson played “Me and Bobbie McGee” for Janis Joplin in her easy chair. 
'I was there for those moments,' writes Smith, 'but so young and preoccupied with my own thoughts that I hardly recognized them as moments.'"

10 comments:

  1. I listened to her on NPR talking about this book yesterday. You should check it out. Was never really into Patti Smith, but really really want to read the book now. I know what you mean about being enthralled with this time in NYC. I'm obsessed with the Talking Heads, TV Party, and The Factory scene.

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  2. Now you have me obsessively reading about her this morning! I think she's my new hero.

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  3. I want to create my own New York here in New Mexico. I want to read everything and listen to everything and just explore! I'm reading "Let's Spend the Night" about groupies and muses from the 60-80's. It's great if you want to revisit the city from those times and all that meant!

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  4. I am reluctant to admit that, at first glance, I couldn't decide which one was Patti and which one was Mapplethorpe. Your observations helped clear the confusion.

    I first discovered Patti Smith while living in Philadelphia. There is a great public radio station down there called WXPN and they stream over the internet. If you want to hear some of the best music you've never heard before, I suggest you give it a listen: www.wxpn.org.

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  5. It's always so interesting to think of New York City has having belonged to somebody else at some other point in time. The city in the 70s was so different and uniquely special to people back then just as it is now to those of us who live there. But for as much as people reflect on "only in New York" type photos of the past it makes me wonder if people will look back at pictures of the current time period and think the same thing. Does any of this make any sense? Maybe I just need a snack.

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  6. Instead of talking about it, go do it! Except for the smoking part, that's bad. Take it from an ex-smoker.

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  7. wow! You're right, that photo is effing amazing.

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  8. umm.

    this is fucking amazeballs. The photo is captivating. Lets start a revolution.

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  9. I just wanted to let you know that I am using this post for one of my English papers. This essay is a “reading & responding” essay. We were told to pick a text, around 500-800 words, sum it up and give our thoughts about the subject, relate to it, etc. I initially thought I could write about a review on a book or a movie or even a rock album but quickly realized that wouldn’t really work out very well. The day my first draft was due I spent hours at work searching for something to write about. I knew I had to pick something that I was interested in and I instantly thought of your blog. The post I initially planned on using was the post about your grandma. I knew I could relate to that one and I remember how moving it was but it was too long. :-( Then I remembered this post and within ten minutes of re-reading it, I had four pages typed for my first draft. My instructor said she loved it and was anxious to read my second draft. I just thought I would let you know you are helping me not only in everyday life but in college as well! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! :-) Since I am back in school and still working full time, I have not been able to blog AT ALL but I plan on posting my English essays so if you visit our blog, you will see my essay on your post in a couple of weeks!

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  10. @The Chicks Wow, that's really awesome. I'm flattered.

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