Chuck Connolly

All of the studio suggestions are great from décor to atmosphere, thanks for all the great input and keep the suggestions coming.

All this talk about Warhol had me thinking about Chuck Connolly. In the 80’s Connolly was selling millions of dollars worth of art, was considered a great up and coming painter who was realizing success in the New York scene and could be seen partying with people such as David Bowie and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Martin Scorcese did a film that was based on Connolly called Life Lessons. This was one of three shorts in a film created by three directors (Scorcese, Coppolla and Allen) titled New York Stories. Apparently Connolly trashed Scorcese after the film was released and fell out of favor with the Hollywood crowd. I understood Scorcese to be a fan and collector of Connelly’s work too. Connolly’s explosive personality may have burnt more bridges beyond the Scorcese alliance because his career came to a halt at that time and was blamed on his volatile personality.

HBO recently did a documentary film on him called The Art of Failure. I saw that last summer after it debuted. It’s sad to see him struggling with his art career now. Here’s a guy who used to have very successful and highly profitable exhibitions in major New York City galleries but has fallen out of favor with the art scene. He has great passion for his art, but was doing a lot of screaming, swearing and drinking throughout the documentary. I think Connolly has become his own worst enemy.

So which is better, to be like me and not know what that kind of success feels like or to be like Chuck, to have had it and lost it? That thought reminds me of Hemingway: For Whom the Bell Tolls.

I do wish Mr. Connolly luck. I’m sure he would never read my blog, but if he did, I would want him to know that I at least tried to buy one of his paintings. Unfortunately I was outbid.