5B4: Larry Clark: Los Angeles 2003

I thought I was through with one night stands. “Thought” being the operative word to that sentence. No…I am apparently I am still very capable of waking the morning after with that sinking feeling that “you’ve done it again.” Why? Is it to fill some internal unrest that can only be sated by some regretful act?

Anyway…I woke this morning slightly hung-over and there it was. Instantly I had that slightly embarrassed feeling of not being able to look it straight in the eye, but undoubtedly, I had to deal with it at some point, it is in my house.

I recall clearly what had taken place the day prior. I was walking in the heat…that oppressive heat that has taken New York (now that summer is over) for the past two days. I was walking to the Luhring Augustine Gallery for a Larry Clark book signing. I was carrying my book bag with a few older titles (Mr. Whiskets asked me to get them signed for him) and just as I was about to pass out from the heat…I was seeing those tell-tale white spots...I was saved by the gust of air conditioning from the open gallery door.

Blinking rapidly I recovered my eyesight and found a small line of people waiting, some book dealers, asking Larry if he’d sign their twentieth copy of the Kids screenplay. The line was moving very slow but I saw that copies of a new book were being relieved of their cellophane shrink-wrapping. Credit cards and cash were flowing. Plastic bags were rustling their song of commerce. A whisper of “only 1000 copies” echoed through the vacuous space along with talk that Larry is making a new movie. “Almost have the green light,” it's going to star Val Kilmer and somebody and somebody else and all I could think of is “Please don't say that Paul Giamatti is going to show up in your movie!”

Sigh of defeat and eighty dollars lighter I left.

So here I sit, this morning, trying to make small talk with this new unexpected housemate over a cup of coffee.

He’s not much of a talker. When he does open up it is mumbled ramblings of his skate tricks (nollie heelflip frontside tailslides down 12 stair handrailings) or his hardcore band (Moral Decay) or that his girl is only 15 but looks 25. Or was it that she is 25 and looks 15? I don’t know…all I know is that he mumbles. Did I mention that?

Based on appearances, he isn’t that bad. Beautiful actually. A stunner. A big surprise for a one nighter. Great design and production values. Splendid color printing by Quensen, Hildesheim / Lamspringe. It’s just, he is a bit vapid. I think I would have been just as satisfied had I bought the Vice Magazine Fashion Issue for $5.95. Or even just checked out a bunch of those American Apparel ads. They do as much fetishizing of adolescents as does my eighty dollar friend. But no…I spent eighty bucks on him. I own him now. He takes up space…probably forever. Because you know that part of the disease is the inability to let go. Maybe that accounts for the headache. (God…if you are up there…please make the rumor of only 1,000 copies be true) (Satan…if this print run turns out to be 6,500 copies, you truly are an evil, evil man).

So what can I do? Therapy? Group rehab? Is there a Friday night meeting in Martin Parr’s basement for this sort of thing? I know I am not the only one. I did resist buying that damn skateboard deck Larry did for Supreme (I did get the calendar though. Hi…My name is Jeff...I have a problem. A book one night stand problem).

This one night stand is entitled Larry Clark: Los Angeles 2003 – 2006 Volume 1. It is published by Luhring Augustine Gallery and the Simon Lee Gallery.

I hope that I am well into my 12 step program before Larry Clark: Los Angeles Volume 2 shows up. I’ve admitted that I have a problem…it's a good start, but I'm far from the finish line.

Buy online at Luhring Augustine Gallery