~JULIAN’S WORLD !!

so, I just happened to cross paths last Saturday – with VITO SCHNABEL – the very weekend – his dad, JULIAN SCHNABEL – headlined PAGE SIX !! (FRI SEPT 10, 2010). Vito looked to be doing well, and he told me THE BRUCE HIGH QUALITY FOUNDATION was doing well too, out and about touring – I think he mentioned Europe.


. . . the PAGE SIX ARTICLE – topped the page & blasted out, under the title: “Knives out for Mideast flick” !! – and underneath it – double trouble – was a pretty heated political cartoon about the Florida guy who wanted to burn Korans & all the radical Muslim cave-men terrorists – signing up – in droves !!
you can find the article online – but the title and presentation – have become a little more corporate !!
online – it’s called: “Julian Schnabel’s ‘Miral’ is marketing nightmare for Harvey Weinstein” – (with “pro-Palestinian” – in the URL link !!??) – and, instead of the over-heated Mideast cartoon – it is accompanied by a very glam red carpet shot – of Julian with RULA JEBREAL !! maybe even from the Venice Film Festival, where his film – ‘Miral’ – screened last week ?

bye the way, SOFIA COPPOLA won a Golden Lion for best film – for her “SOMEWHERE” and VINCENT GALLO !! won for best actor for his role in “ESSENTIAL KILLERS”. 67th VENICE FILM FESTIVAL, SEPT 11, 2010.
PAGE SIX says Julian’s film – “was not loved by the critics”.

see: JULIAN SCHNABEL/MIRAL/NEW YORK POST/PAGE SIX/SEPT 10, 2010 !!

since I pretty much have a full deck of Schnabel cards – I’m like – if not now – then – when ?
. . . so, where to begin.


. . . how about with JAVIER BARDEM (r) ?
who certainly owes his current mega-star status to Julian – who gave him his first big break – as Cuban poet – Reinaldo Arenas – in Julian’s brilliant and poetic – ‘When Night Falls’ (2007). I swear this movie is so beautiful – it brought me to an uncontrolled stream of tears. black and white vintage snow scenes in a raw and unfriendly NYC !! it also starred – JOHNNY DEPP.

Javier is seen here – with fellow actor ANDREA CICCIO DI STEPHANO !! It was the opening of ‘Picasso Bacon & Basquiat’, at TONY SHAFRAZI GALLERY/ May 8, 2004. He came with Julian and yes, that is a Basquiat behind them.
see more pix from the opening, here: artnet magazine archives/people section/’ART LOVERS NEW YORK – PHOTOS BY NANCY SMITH’/SPRING 2004 !!


OLATZ LOPEZ GARMENDIA, Julian’s second wife – was also in ‘When Night Falls’ – she played a truly wonderful turn as the mother of Arenas. for real. she was good. Olatz has been in all 3 of Julian’s previous movies, including his first – ‘Basquiat’ (1996) – but I bet it’s safe to say – she isn’t, in this one.
she’s at the opening of ‘JULIAN SCHNABEL: NAVIGATION DRAWINGS’, which opened at SPERONE WESTWATER – when it was in the Meatpacking District. Jan 8, 2008.


STELLA, Julian’s older daughter – was also at the same opening.
She is with DICK CAVETT, a family neighbor – or who was once – in the Hamptons.
(bye the way – Stella and her young Brit publishing heir BF at the time – actually bought some Alfredo Martinez Prison drawings – through me, a couple of years back.)
you can see some the Schnabel artwork & catch – more of the ‘NAVIGATION’ opening . . . in the archives.
it ranges from AL PACINO through STEVE BUSCEMI – who is debuting on mainstream TV – this week, no less a shock than seeing Chloe Sevigny as a T.V. Mormon wife !! how things will never cease to amaze us who cut our NYC art world teeth at the Red Bar !! on the Lower East Side – in the early 80s !!
see: ‘NAVIGATION’/Bi Polar Winter/artlovers archive !!



so, here’s VITO – at the Brucennial opening !!
he is 23 at the time.
a wisecrack alternative – to the staid and played-out Whitney Biennial – the Brucennial, which Vito helped produce and curate – was arguably one of best of the big group shows of new art, received mainstream critical acclaim, and was by far – one of the most fun openings – pretty much – of all of last year, too !!
it’s proper title was –
‘The Brucennial 2010: MISEDUCATION IS PRESENTED BY THE BRUCE HIGH QUALITY FOUNDATION IN COLLABORATION WITH VITO SCHNABEL. in a POP-UP GALLERY SPACE, reportedly provided by ABY ROSEN – on WEST BROADWAY in SOHO. the show opened Feb 25, 2010.


Vito’s mom, JACQUELINE BEAURANG, Julian’s first wife – was on hand at the opening.
she is also the mom of Stella and Lola.


in fact, Vito’s sister LOLA, LOLA MONTES SCHNABEL – had a piece in the show !! her mom stands beside it.


Lola’s piece was pretty good. it was a hand-blown glass female torso – that was lit from within. She made it when she was in Italy.


it had a scrawly black line drawing across the chest.


you can get a sense of how good the show was. ok. maybe one day I will – post more pix !!


then in came – Julian and RULA JEBREAL, hand in hand.
the relationship had surfaced in the tabloids a while back. it was a rocky time.


Julian greets the Bruces,


and Julian (L) greets more Bruces !!


RULA JEBREAL.


and yep, I do have a photo of LOLA or LOLA MONTES SCHNABEL, as she likes to be known.
Julian’s younger daughter – she is very cool. I like her a lot. when this photo was taken, she was in her 3rd year Filmmaking at COOPER UNION. May 11, 2006.
maybe – that’s where the connection to the Bruces comes from – as they are all Cooper Union alumnae.

ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT: NANCY SMITH