HERNAN BAS opens 'Dandies, Pansies and Prudes' at DANIEL REICH - Brooke Geehan, left, arrives with a small, but specially wrapped present. Hernan's work went through the roof at the recent auctions - pieces with estimates of $50-$60,000 went for over $80,000! DANIEL REICH GALLERY, Feb 25, 2006

from left, JOHANNES Van der Beek and DEVIN LEONARDI, at the HERNAN BAS opening, 'Dandies, Pansies and Prudes', DANIEL REICH GALLERY, Feb 25, 2006. Johannes seems to have direct ancestry going all the way back to the early Dutch settlers of the 1700's, when New York was known as New Amsterdam. He is an artist in his own right, and co-director of GUILD & GREYSHKUL in Soho. Devin is a GUILD & GREYSHKUL artist.

from left, ERIN KRAUSE, Director of Spencer Brownstone Gallery, which opened a huge group show of TIM BARBER'S tinyvices.com, in MARCH 2006, with artist and teacher, SISSEL KARDEL, at the HERNAN BAS opening, 'Dandies, Pansies and Prudes', DANIEL REICH GALLERY, Feb 25, 2006

HERNAN BAS, 'Etc. Etc,' acrylic, gouache, water-based oil, and oil pastel on paper, 12 x 10", 2006, 'Dandies, Pansies, and Prudes', DANIEL REICH GALLERY, Feb 25, 2006

HERNAN BAS, 'The Conductor', acrylic, gouache, water-based oil, oil pastel, with collage on paper, 27 x 20", 2006, 'Dandies, Pansies, and Prudes', DANIEL REICH GALLERY, Feb 25, 2006

detail, HERNAN BAS, 'The Conductor', 'Dandies, Pansies, and Prudes', DANIEL REICH GALLERY, Feb 25, 2006

HERNAN BAS, 'The Prude Listening to Love Songs', acrylic, gouache, water-based oil on linen, 12 x 9", 'Dandies, Pansies, and Prudes', DANIEL REICH GALLERY, Feb 25, 2006

MAX LANG, center, celebrates the opening of his new space on 10th Avenue in Chelsea, with partner JAMES GOODMAN, at left. Legendary dealer TONY SHAFRAZI, on the right, drops by to congratulate. MAX LANG inaugural opening, Feb 23, 2006

LORI SPECTOR, recent NYU M.A. Program graduate, MAX LANG inaugural opening, Feb 23, 2006

INKA ESSENHIGH, 'Sunbathers', 1998, MAX LANG inaugural opening, Feb 23, 2006

detail, INKA ESSENHIGH, 'Sunbathers', 1998, MAX LANG inaugural opening, Feb 23, 2006

DAMIEN HIRST, 'Beautiful Who'd Have Thought My Guts Would Spill So Gracefully Painting', 2005, spin art painting, MAX LANG inaugural opening, Feb 23, 2006

THOMAS RUFF, MAX LANG inaugural opening, Feb 23, 2006

TONY OURSLER, on the right, with fellow artist, Joshua Thorson, celebrates 2 simultaneous openings, one at METRO PICTURES, one at NYEHAUS, with a dinner/afterparty at the National Arts Club, Feb 25, 2006

CINDY SHERMAN at the TONY OURSLER dinner. Cindy is the subject of a Robert Redford, Sundance sponsored documentary, 'Guest of Cindy Sherman', being made by Paul Hasegawa-Overacker, aka Paul H-O, of Filmlike LLC, located in NYC. The film chronicles what it's like to be the accessory boyfriend, quote unquote, of Cindy Sherman. Paul H-O, being the real life boyfriend, who apparently had some startling experiences in the role... when asked, at the time of this photo, if she was still with Paul, Cindy answered somewhat sadly,.."no". TONY OURSLER dinner, National Arts Club, Feb 25, 2006

LIA GANGITANO, left, with one of the hosts of the dinner, TIM NYE of NYEHAUS. Lia, who cut her non-profit gallery teeth working with Tim on THREAD WAXING SPACE in its earliest days, now runs PARTICIPANT on Rivington St. TONY OURSLER dinner, National Arts Club, Feb 25, 2006

collectors, ELLYN and SAUL DENNISON. Saul Dennison is the current President of the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Their daughter, LISA DENNISON, is the new Director of the Guggenheim, taking over the reins from Thomas Krens. TONY OURSLER dinner, National Arts Club, Feb 25, 2006

WALTER ROBINSON, editor of artnet, with long time girlfriend, professional art restorer, LISA ROSEN, at the TONY OURSLER dinner, in the posh National Arts Club, Feb 25, 2006. (the food was good, too.) (Walter Robinson painted some of the best & earliest spin art paintings, in the early 80's. sorry Damien, but that's the truth.)

inside the posh National Arts Club, actually despite the opulence of the setting, the party was very gracious, relaxed and low key. TONY OURSLER dinner, National Arts Club, Feb 25, 2006

...HAPPIER DAYS - CINDY SHERMAN and PAUL HASEGAWA-OVERACKER, at the 2004 opening of Cindy's show of a new series of 'CLOWN' photographs, METRO PICTURES, May 7, 2004

detail, CINDY SHERMAN, clown photograph, from her show at METRO PICTURES, which opened MAY 7, 2004