~COLIN de LAND/THE LAST PIX
SIMON and I both knew Colin from way back in the early days of the EAST VILLAGE GALLERY scene – ca. 1981 or 82, 83 – when they both had start-up store-front galleries, pretty much around the block from each other. both had serious agendas, and serious ‘other agenda’ distractions. put it this way – they both liked to party, in their own way – and being a businessman/gallerist – wasn’t high on the list. Simon’s gallery, the self-named SIMON CERIGO GALLERY – was more visual, as in pictorial – in context, showing early WALTER ROBINSON and even DAN ASHER; while Colin’s was more of a visual but cerebral high-style. COLIN was able to outlast Simon and endure until his untimely death, (in FALL 2003) as he had family resources to fall back on – and he was also a little sharper on the networking. Our most interesting intersection with Colin, apart from Simon’s inclusion in ART CLUB 2000’s ‘1970’ – was our 1995 purchase, from AMERICAN FINE ARTS – of an early MARIKO MORI large-scale photo, called: ‘LOVE HOTEL’ – which we purchased for the grand total of $3,000. We had to sell it, a few years later – when it hit $60,000 at secondary market. of course the very next year, after we put ours to market – her photos were hitting well beyond $120,000-$160.000+. ouch. . and yes it was COLIN de LAND, not JEFFREY DEITCH – who first showed MARIKO MORI in NYC. and yes, ALFREDO MARTINEZ !! and MARIKO MORI were an item – in her early punk days, when she still had bad skin – in NYC, on the Lower Side. and yes, it was at the first DEITCH – MARIKO MORI show – that I first met Alfredo. they had already broken up way before. it was something you just never knew whether to believe or not, but just like most of the tall tales – that Alfredo spins – the most far-fetched !! are usually – the truth !! I know, because – I did ask Mariko Mori once, personally – and she did confirm – though in a one word sentence . . .
COLIN de LAND 1955-2003.
photographed at the last AMERICAN FINE ARTS opening he was able to attend. PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
the show was: SILVIA KOLBOWSKI, ‘Like Looking Away’, SEPTEMBER 12 – OCTOBER 5, 2003.
by this time AMERICAN FINE ARTS/COLIN DE LAND FINE ART was in Chelsea – on 22nd St.
the opening was on Sept 13, 2003 – and by Oct 26, 2003 – there was a memorial for COLIN at COOPER UNION, with the after party at CBGB.
by this time – I was working as an event photographer for WALTER ROBINSON at artnet. I felt really honored that Colin, clearly not at the peak of good health, had picked up his camera to play ‘photo tag’ with me, and that he had let me get the last photo of him – at the very last event he could attend at his namesake gallery. esp as – no one was else was allowed to snap any pix of him. ok. he was wearing a wig, but he still looked pretty good, and playful. but Walter declined to publish it – go figure. way to go, Walter. guess I can just damn well – do it myself, now.
and, yes it was Colin de Land who made trucker hats most chic !!, (and, not ASHTON KUTCHER !!).
DANIEL, or as we all like to call him, DANNY, McDONALD was pretty much running the gallery day-to-day, at that point, and he was watching over Colin like a mother hawk. He obviously, unlike Walter, enjoyed – and grasped the beauty of the ‘camera play’ !!
this was the artist – SILVIA KOLBOWSKI – whose show was to have the legacy of being – the last one Colin could attend.
this was the show’s card.
by that time – Colin was using a standard, text only – format – for every show.
it was kind of a fore-shadow – in style, looking back.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH