In 1981, I had just moved back to NYC from Houston after first coming to the big city the year before…
Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager had just been released from prison after being caught skimming unreported millions at the height of Studio 54. As convicted felons they could no longer hold a liquor license, and sold the club to former doorman Mark Fleishman. It had been closed for a time, and the night of the reopening in 1981, a 21-year old Trey Speegle –who had just landed a job in the art department of Vogue– spotted Warhol and hung around a while to chat.
Trey Speegle at work at Vogue
Trey Speegle, Gold Carolyn (Farb), 1981
The invitation to REPOP 1981 with the altered face of newscaster, Marvin Zindler
Recently, (like 2 days ago) I found my notebook containing this hand-written recollection of our conversation. My first art exhibit was called Repop: 1981 and it used Factory techniques to make Houstonians into Warholian pop stars. I sit reading this almost exactly 40 years later, in my painting studio, gallery and small storefront in Jeffersonville, New York in the Catskill Mountains, housed in a former gas station. It is called The RePop Shop.
Trey Speegle: Have you ever heard of RePop?
Andy Warhol: Huh..?
Trey: It was a show I did in Houston…
Andy: I like Houston.
Trey: Do you go there often?
Andy: Yes, we have a lot of friends there…
Trey: Is it the same as it was…? [meaning the newly reopened Studio 54.)
Andy: Yes, the faces look the same… but they painted it white.
Trey: How was your opening?
Andy: Crowded. We almost didn’t get in.
Trey: Your opening of Myths was the same night…
Andy: Did you see it?
Trey: No.
Andy Warhol, VIP Ticket – Studio 54, 1978, 26 x 14″. Christie’s
(Steve Rubell walks over with Calvin Klein.)
Steve Rubell: Hi, Andy. Having fun?
Andy: Yeah.
Steve: Can I get you something? A drink. How about a drink?
Andy: No, thank you.
Steve: [to a waiter] Get Andy a drink.
Andy: No, really…
Trey: Go ahead, take it. Someone will drink it…
Andy: Yeah, I’ll end up drinking it.
Steve: [looking around the scene] Isn’t it great?
Andy: Yeah, great…
Steve: Come over here, they want to take a picture of us.
Calvin Klein, Rubell, Andy, Fran Lebowitz –whom the party was given for– have their picture taken. Andy talks to Paloma Picasso, Liz Smith, Victor Hugo & assorted other lesser know folk. Andy returns. As friends mill around in an ever-expanding crowd, Tony Curtis comes over to say ‘Hi’, but Andy is facing the other direction and I am in-between them. I tap Andy on the shoulder and point to Curtis. They chat.
I stand next to Andy as people come and go…
Trey: So what do you think of RePop..?
Andy: It’s a good word.
Trey: Yeah, I think so.
Andy: Hmmm…
Trey: You sure know a lot of people.
Andy: Well…
Trey: They seem to get a lot of energy from you.
Andy: They’re all just friends.
Trey: Is it rude of me to just stand here and watch like this?
Andy: No. I do it all the time.
