I thought I’d give you a little sampling of some of the most famous works most closely associated with these Unites States. This isn’t a museum survey that is all-inclusive… it is deficient in many areas – but this is just me, not a curatorial body, so take it for what it’s worth. Warhol appears a few times as does Ed Ruscha, two of my favorites. When Obama ran in 2008, I created this HOPE piece for Art For Obama from a vintage paint by number original. When it was auctioned, with the proceeds went to his campaign, the buyer ended up being in his administration and subsequently, I got a tour of the West Wing! (It was also made into a soap box for Anthropologie.) So, I had to include it here – sue me if I’m not quite in these guy’s league. It’s a free country, isn’t it?! I’m SO excited that the new Whitey Museum, whose mission is to highlight American artists, is opening up next Spring just a block from my studio in the Meatpacking District. I have to say, I AM proud to be an American artist –specifically, a gay New York one – but I really it doesn’t differ much from being an artist from anywhere else in the world. The best work grabs you by the shoulders and shakes you, no matter what country the maker lives in. That’s why it’s called “universal truth”. But it takes the viewer to mean ANYTHING at all. That is what makes it art.

Ansel Adams, Andy Warhol, Peter Max, Georgia O'Keefe

Jasper Johns, Robert Indiana, Shepard Fairey, Trey Speegle

Diane Arbus, Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, Robert Frank

I’m a BIG photography fan. I worked in publishing for years with some of the best photographers and I collect photographs, but even though I’ve always shot pictures, I’ve never really considered myself a “photographer”. (I HAVE just started a new photo series myself.) Here are a few of the masters of 20th century photography in their own words. There are many more. This just may become a series.

“All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.” -Richard Avedon — “*All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.”* -**Richard Avedon**

“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” -Ansel Adams — *“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.”* -**Ansel Adams**

“I have always stood in awe of the camera. I recognize it for the instrument it is, part Stradivarius, part scalpel.” -Irving Penn — *“I have always stood in awe of the camera. I recognize it for the instrument it is, part Stradivarius, part scalpel.”* **-Irving Penn**

“I had this notion of what I called a democratic way of looking around, that nothing was more or less important.” – William Eggelston — *“I had this notion of what I called a democratic way of looking around, that nothing was more or less important.”* – **William Eggelston**

(All photographs are self-portraits, with the exception of Arbus.)

HAPPY 4TH FROM ED, ANDY, GEORGIA & ME!

MASTER PHOTOGRAPHERS ON PHOTOGRAPHY