My friend Kevin Larmon, an American artist who began his career in the 1980's East Village art scene, showing at Nature Morte Gallery, and is now living in upstate NY came by for a visit, he helped me at the store and I took this shot of him wearing my Morrissey mask. Hot. He is a fantastic painter and musician in a band called JOAN. www.kevinlarmon.com
Traffic has been so heavy I had to hire a doorman. This is my back door entry, but it is the one that is visible from Lower Main Street, the shopping, drinking and eating block in Callicoon, NY.It is just a short walk of 50 feet to see some interesting stuff. Those that do are rewarded and delighted or just need to use the rest room.
The clown (left not center) is a 1950's carnival item, made by "Game Time" in Michigan USA - it's a double faced head with two gaping mouths and is cast and forged in aluminum or zinc? - sitting on a 50 gallon drum.
I was thrilled to be visited by my dear friend Janette Beckman - she's a New York based, UK born photographer who documented the primal beginnings of the UK and US punk, hip hop and rap scenes and continues her editorial and commercial work from her studio on Bond St. NYC. www.janettebeckman.com
She brought along her best friend Vivien Goldman (above) the absolutely legendary UK punk songstress. I had been a long time fan of Viv's since buying her 12" single "launderette" . Check it out after you read the rest! It is an WFMU staple and one of my favorites. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsLAY1OdZrA.
I had brought this MABEL DEAN BACON jacket to the Brooklyn Flea at least half a dozen times figuring it was a no-brainer nibble for the foodies. No sale.
Well a year later, hanging from a nail in my little barn store - this cool kid from Staten Island walks in with his parents - stops short and says " Buy me that".
His mom says he loves bacon and collects all things pork.
No pork here.
This is Moses. No kidding.
As a Jew in the Marines in the 60's - that was his nickname. I didn't know that when I posted his pic on Facebook, but he came in the next week and told me that story. He's also a magician, a CUNY professor, a talker with quickly shifting points of interest and god only knows what else.
Long story short. He bought a few items that he could use for tricks, Vegas casino coins, old Victorian knives, a sterling silver handled Fred Astaire style cane. He and his lovely French wife spent an hour in the Tin Can really looking at every section and talking about their travels, items I had displayed, and ideas about shopping, which I found interesting.
People like to buy "Gifts" she suggested. As if buying it for someone else makes it OK. Hmmm.
At one point he (Moses) mentions growing up in a building that used to be in synagogue in nearby Lake Huntington, NY - which is halfway between my house and store. I pointed to these stained glass panels with the Star of David I had tucked away on a window ledge - that they hadn't noticed - and told him I had bought them at a yard sale in a former synagogue in Lake Huntington. They were the surviving panels, from large lantern style fixtures that had sat atop the gate posts. Hmm?
As if lightning struck and the bush started burning - it was the house / synagogue he lived in as a boy. He bought them both (after haggling of course). The cracked one is on it's way to his brother in Tel Aviv.
That was a magical moment.
