farewell to a hip hip lady

Ruth Kligman, the fantastically eccentric painter, died last week. Ruth was best known as the only survivor from the car crash that killed Jaskson Pollack (her lover at the time) and her friend Edith.

I was lucky enough to meet Ruth last year when T did a profile on her (I'm not sure it ever ran?!); I was art directing the shoot and had a chance to go to her house and hang out there for a while. I adored her. She was kinda weird, kinda grouchy, super saucy with all the boys, and loved my red lips. 

RUTH & DE KOONING, IN '57

Her walls were filled with pics of her friends and lovers (Andy Warhol & Willem de Kooning, respectively), and uh-mazing portraits of her– the Mapplethorpe was my fave. (I wish I could find it online)

I only went back to visit her a couple more times, which of course I regret deeply.
I promised to stay in touch! Ruth liked me, she told me often.

 RUTH, MORE LIKE I REMEMBER HER. ALWAYS WITH A GIANT HAT!

She gave me a copy of her book and we talked about boys. And she liked it if you brought her a cappucino.

I LOVE THE WEIRD STUFF: MONSTER: DISINTEGRATION, 1990S

Her giant apartment on 14th street (which I just learned was Franz Kline's old studio) was her painting studio in the front and her home in the back.
Her recent paintings were GIANT and kinda next level..I asked her if I could buy a small print and she quoted me like, $5,000 dollars. WHYYY didn't I just go for epic debt and just BUY it?! Sigh.

Ruth was a hip lady and a talented artist who lived a pretty incredible life; I will miss her. XO forever.