downtown 81 I recently saw the film Downtown and it rekindled memories of when I was young. I spotted one of the most important people in the scene for me a French painter who had moved to NYC in '80, Jim Fouratt. His role as people collector and presenter provided the social lubricant essential to the creation of the fission of that particular world. Jim Fouratt the man behind the au courant nightlife template… including Hurrah, Danceteria 1&2, the New Peppermint Lounge, the site specific hoot called BLITZ, On the Waterfront, Pravda and Penguin nights at the Pyramid.Oddly enough as much as he was involved in style he was also very political. His mixture of high and low art was his cultural signature be it Polyrock (Phillip Glass) or the Sf Mutants or The Gang of Four or Plyon, or August Darnell or Patti Smith or Heaven 17 or Diamanda Galas or Defunct or Suicide or Zulu Nation or Johanna Wendt or Tuxedo Moon or Pulsalama or Ted Milton or the Rolling Stones or Devo or the Time Twins or Martha and the Muffins or Spandau Ballet and a slew of very in the moment critical Brit bands or Jesus and the Jerks o the Mekons or the Dead Kennedy or Noh Mercy or the Contortions or the Lounge Lizards are just a few of the moments I was present to witness. He always had the best DJ's and door people, security and staff in "Downtown" nightlife. I can't forget the art installations including Keith Haring, Collette and his conceptual creation of the art and experimental driven VIdeo Lounge curated by video artist themselves Kit Fitgerald and Joh Sanborn, and special series like WORDBEAT, Serious Fun. etcwer always essential to his clubs. .. I was surprised to see him not listed as a participant. He is for me my litmus for what was hot and important in that period before AIDS and crack cocaine .. and Edo and John had him in the film for a reason .. it seems he gets little credit for the critical cultural role he played. It also should be noted that he actually gave jobs to many of the creative people now lionized in the art world

Deux acteurs (Deborah Harry, Jean-Michel Basquiat) dont les portraits figurent dans l'exposition "Andy Warhol" au Grand palais, en ce printemps 2009 (aux côtés de Judy Garland, Dennis Hopper, Sylvester Stallone…). Le tout New York (et même au delà) se pressait chez Warhol pour un portrait à 25000 dollars… Le côté people de Warhol peut agacer, mais quelques-uns (au moins) de ses tableaux (comme le portrait de Lénine) manifestent un talent pictural évident, et méritent une visite…