MAN: I'VE ALREADY HAD A

REWARDING CAREER REPRESENTING

ARTISTS WRITING THE FIRST REVIEW

OF BASQUIAT, BEING THE FIRST

PERSON TO BUY HIS WORK, BEING

JEFF KOONS' DEALER DURING THE

NINETIES. I'VE ALREADY DONE VERY

REWARDING THINGS LIKE THIS.

I'M A STEALTH BOMBER.

I CAN WALK THE WALK AND TALK

THE TALK OF MONEY PEOPLE BUT

I'M USING THE STRUCTURE

TO PUT OUT SOME VERY

PROGRESSIVE, RADICAL IDEAS.

FIRST THE CHALLENGE WAS

ECONOMIC SURVIVAL.

NOW IT'S HOW DO I SURVIVE THE

COST STRUCTURE? I HAVE TO

COMPETE WITH GALLERIES THAT

HAVE THESE POWER ROSTERS THAT

GENERATE IMMENSE AMOUNTS OF

MONEY TODAY.

AND...YOU KNOW.

I'M--RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN.

WOMAN: NOT ALL COLLECTIONS ARE

CREATED EQUAL.

NOT ALL COLLECTORS ARE

PERCEIVED EQUALLY.

MAN: JEFFREY WAS ALWAYS

SOMEONE--A PRESENCE.

HE WAS FILLING A NICHE THAT

NOBODY ELSE IS DOING ANY--AND

ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WAS LIKE

THERE WAS SO MUCH ENERGY GOING

ON.

DIFFERENT MAN: HE'S A UNIQUE

INDIVIDUAL AND FOLLOW HIS OWN

DREAM. IF EVERYBODY ELSE HAVE TO

CATCH UP TO HIM.

HE'S NEVER BEEN COMMERCIAL.

WOMAN: AND I THINK THIS IS WHY

HE PERHAPS FITS SO WELL IN L.A.

YOU KNOW, HE LIKES ARCHITECTURE,

HE LIKES FOOD, HE LIKES FILM,

HE LIKES MUSIC, HE LIKES CARS,

EVEN THOUGH HIS DRIVING IS

QUESTIONABLE.

DIFFERENT WOMAN: WHAT IS IT

ABOUT YOUR CAREER THAT PEOPLE

FIND TO BE THREATENING OR

POLARIZING? AND THAT'S WHAT I

CAN'T FIGURE--AS AN OUTSIDER TO

YOUR WORLD...

DEITCH: I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT,

EITHER. NOBODY WHO KNOWS ME

IS NEGATIVE. IT'S PEOPLE WHO

DON'T KNOW ME WHERE I'M KIND OF

AN ABSTRACTION.

I NEVER CONSIDERED MYSELF A

CONTROVERSIAL PERSON AT ALL AND

I NEVER GOT MUCH FEEDBACK LIKE

THAT BUT I...I--

I BECAME PUBLICLY CONTROVERSIAL

ONLY DURING THIS MOCA SITUATION

FOR VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH

MAYBE AT SOME POINT I'LL GET

INTO BUT I'M NOT GOING TO GET

INTO NOW.

IT BECAME AN IMPOSSIBLE

SITUATION FOR ME AND I HAD TO

LEAVE.

ANNOUNCER: THIS PROGRAM WAS

MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY A

GRANT FROM ANNE RAY FOUNDATION,

A MARGARET A. CARGILL

PHILANTHROPY. THE LOS

ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF

SUPERVISORS THROUGH THE LOS

ANGELES COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION.

THE LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF

CULTURAL AFFAIRS. THE CALIFORNIA

HUMANITIES. AND THE CALIFORNIA

ARTS COUNCIL.

MAN: YOU ARE--

DEITCH: SO, NOELLE

WAS AROUND SOMEPLACE.

SO, TO GET HIM AS WELL...

MAN: YEAH.

DEITCH: WHAT IS THAT? THAT'S--

MAN: HEY, CAN YOU COME

AND JOIN US?

WE'RE WALKING AROUND AND JUST

MAKING THE LIST OF THINGS THAT

HAVE TO BE DONE BEFORE WE

FINISH.

DEITCH: WE HAD TALKED ABOUT

PAINTING SOME OF THE ELECTRICAL

[INDISTINCT].

YEAH, BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE

BEFORE ALL THESE GO...

MAN: OH, RIGHT.

DEITCH: I ASSUME THAT

CAMERAS ARE GOING UP HERE.

THEY HAVEN'T GONE UP YET?

MAN: THEY'RE INSIDE.

DEITCH: I REMEMBER THAT

THE PROPOSAL HAD CAMERAS

OUTSIDE.

MAN: I REMEMBER IT, TOO.

DEITCH: YEAH.

BUT THERE'S A LOT THAT SOMEONE

CAN MONKEY WITH HERE.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE

THINGS ARE.

I ASSUME THE PAINTERS ARE GOING

TO BE OBSERVANT TO CATCH ALL OF

THIS.

HAVE YOU TESTED THE AIR

CONDITIONING YET?

MAN: YEAH, WE'VE PASSED

INSPECTION LAST SATURDAY.

DEITCH: BUT WE NEED THE LIGHT.

THAT'S--THAT'S THE WHOLE

ARCHITECTURAL STATEMENT.

THE SHUTTERS SHOULD GO ALL THE

WAY UP.

MAN: OK.

DEITCH: CAN THAT BE BUFFED OUT

OR...

MAN: I'LL ASK THE GLASS GUY.

DEITCH: A NUMBER OF THINGS HERE

THAT WHERE WE HAVE SCUFFS, TOO.

MAN: THE CORNERS.

DEITCH: YES. YES, SO, JUST

THE INTERIOR WALLS, TOO.

DO WE NEED TO PUT THE

REFRIGERATOR IN FOR THE

INSPECTORS?

MAN: NOT INSPECTION.

[INDISTINCT].

DEITCH: OK. ALL RIGHT. OK.

AND...YEAH, IT NEEDS A LITTLE

CLEANING. OK.

HI. IT'S JEFFREY DEITCH.

COULD YOU ASK BRIAN TO PHONE ME

WHEN HE HAS A CHANCE?

IF I WANTED TO MAKE MONEY IN

ART, I WOULD JUST--

JUST BE ME AND

MY CELL PHONE AND WORKING, YOU

KNOW, THE, ALL OF THE WORKS THAT

I PLACE WITH COLLECTORS OVER 40-

PLUS YEARS AND THE PEOPLE I'VE

MET WHO MIGHT WANT TO BUY ONE

OF THEM AND PUTTING THEM

TOGETHER.

HEY, THAT'S A MUCH BETTER WAY TO

MAKE MONEY.

THE ONLY OVERHEAD IS MY PHONE

BILL AND SOME PLANE TICKETS.

OK.

THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE

OPERATION. BASICALLY, I HAVE MY

OWN PRIVATE MUSEUM. THE GOAL IS

REALLY JUST TO COVER THE

EXPENSES SO THAT I CAN DO THE

NEXT SHOW. HOPEFULLY, MAKE A

LITTLE MONEY WITH A SIDE

BUSINESS OF PLACING AN

IMPORTANT WORK OF ART.

GOING FROM ONE COLLECTOR TO

ANOTHER.

THERE WILL BE 4 SHOWS A YEAR.

TWO OF THEM WILL BE THESE

THEMATIC SHOWS AND TWO OF THEM

WILL BE AMBITIOUS EXHIBITIONS

WITH MAJOR ARTISTS.

SOME OF THEM MORE MY GENERATION,

LIKE AI WEIWEI, SOME WITH SOME

YOUNGER ARTISTS WHO ARE JUST

AT THE STAGE WHERE THEY CAN

WORK A BIG SCALE AND TAKE ON

THE SPACE.

BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BE

ABLE TO DO IS TO HAVE A

STRUCTURE WHERE I CAN WORK WITH

EVERY GALLERY WHERE THEY'RE

HAPPY TO CONSIGN TO ME,

WHERE WE CAN COLLABORATE.

WE'LL SEE IF THIS STRUCTURE

WORKS.

OUR AI WEIWEI EXHIBITION WAS AS

AMBITIOUS AS ANYTHING HE'S DONE

IN AN AMERICAN MUSEUM.

WE SHIPPED 6,000 STOOLS

FROM HIS STORAGE IN BERLIN

AND A NUMBER OF MASSIVE PIECES

FROM CHINA.

OTHER PIECES WERE PRODUCED IN

NEW YORK CITY.

A MASSIVE LOGISTICAL PROJECT.

YOU STILL NEED A BRICK AND

MORTAR INSTITUTION.

ABSOLUTELY.

ART IS MADE TO BE PRESENTED IN

A SPACE, EITHER AN ENCLOSED

BUILDING OR OUTDOOR PLAZA.

ART--ART IS NOT--IS NOT MADE FOR

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION OVER

SOCIAL MEDIA. THE KIND OF ART

THAT I'M MORE INTERESTED IN HAS

A PHYSICAL PRESENCE.

YOU HAVE TO SEE IT IN A SPACE.

AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO COME BACK

AND SEE IT IN THIS SPACE

IN DIFFERENT LIGHT CONDITIONS,

DIFFERENT CONTEXTS WITH

DIFFERENT ART AROUND IT.

SO, ABSOLUTELY THE BRICK

AND MORTAR SPACE IS AS

ESSENTIAL AS IT EVER WAS.

MAN: ALL RIGHT. DONE GOOD?

DIFFERENT MAN: FEELING GREAT.

LET'S JUST DO [INDISTINCT].

DIFFERENT MAN: READY. 1, 2, 3.

[MEN GRUNTING]

HIGH ENOUGH?

DEITCH: WE WERE LUCKY TO BE ABLE

TO BUILD A BEAUTIFUL SPACE.

EVERYTHING I WANTED.

FRANK GEHRY VERY GENEROUSLY

SAYS HE VOLUNTEERED TO DESIGN

THE SPACE FOR ME.

AND THE RESULT IS INCREDIBLE.

[AI SPEAKING CHINESE]

WOMAN: SO, WEIWEI CAME YESTERDAY

MORNING TO INSPECT THE STOOLS

AND HE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE

TOO CLOSE TOGETHER.

AND ACTUALLY, IT'S BECAUSE THIS

IS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE'S

ACTUALLY SEEN THIS WORK

EXHIBITED IN PERSON BECAUSE WHEN

IT WAS EXHIBITED LAST IN 2014,

HE HADN'T HAD HIS PASSPORT BACK.

SO--BECAUSE HE GOT HIS PASSPORT

BACK IN 2015.

SO, HE'S NEVER ABLE TO SEE IT IN

PERSON UNTIL, UNTIL NOW.

THEY SPENT THE NIGHT JUST

TRYING TO SPREAD OUT ALL OF THE

STOOLS AND YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE

STILL SORT OF STRAIGHTENING

EVERYTHING OUT.

AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS

THEY'RE USING THIS--

SO, THEY'RE USING THIS STRING

HERE TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT.

YES. IT JUST HAS TO

MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CENTERED

WITH THIS LINE.

AND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS

WE'RE ADDING A ROW.

BECAUSE WE HAD MISSING

STOOLS WITH THE SHIPMENT.

DEITCH: WELCOME HERE. I HOPE YOU

LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKS?

AI: NOW, IT'S

FAR FROM WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK,

BUT GRADUALLY, I'M SURE IT'S

GOING TO BE PERFECT. HOW ARE

YOU?

DEITCH: I'M PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT

ALL THIS.

AI: YEAH, YEAH, I AM VERY

EXCITED. IT'S BEAUTIFUL

[INDISTINCT], IT'S BEAUTIFUL

SHOW AND, YEAH, IT TAKES A LOT

OF PATIENCE TO MAKE IT RIGHT. I

ASKED THEM TO REDO THIS.

[INDISTINCT].

IT'S NOT EASY.

SO, WE HAVE TO MAKE A GRID FROM

MIDDLE RIGHT OUT FROM

THE CORNER.

DEITCH: [INDISTINCT].

AI: FIRST TIME I'VE

SEEN THIS IN PERSON.

DEITCH: YEAH, YEAH. THEY'RE--

YES. BUT SO I JUST--THE--

[INDISTINCT] IS GOING TO--YEAH,

BUT SHE'S SENDING ME AN E-MAIL

SOON WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF

THE BEST CHINESE RESTAURANTS.

AI: NO, NO, NO.

I DON'T NEED THAT. I JUST

NEED WHERE TO HAVE LUNCH?

WE ARE HUNGRY.

DEITCH: OK. ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THERE ARE MANY GOOD PLACES

AROUND HERE.

AI: JUST TELL HER WHAT.

NEED TO KNOW WHAT.

[INDISTINCT].

DEITCH: THERE'S A PLACE--

CALIFORNIA CUISINE--THAT I LIKE.

IT'S CALLED CALI.

AI: IT'S NOT FAR?

WE CAN WALK?

DEITCH: NO, YOU CAN'T WALK.

THERE IS NOTHING TO WALK TO.

I WILL DRIVE YOU.

AI: NO, NO, NO, NO.

DEITCH: YEAH.

I WILL DRIVE YOU THERE.

AI: BUT YOU HAD LUNCH.

DEITCH: YEAH, I DID.

BUT I'LL DRIVE YOU THERE.

AI: HOW FAR? HOW FAR AWAY?

DEITCH: 5 MINUTES.

AI: OK, LET'S GO.

DEITCH: OK.

I JUST--WHERE'S--KATHY?

I'M TAKING WEIWEI TO CALI

FOR LUNCH, OK?

I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

THERE WAS NO QUESTION THAT I

WAS GOING TO GET INVOLVED WITH

THE ART WORLD AND GRADUATING

FROM COLLEGE WAS STILL UNCLEAR.

WAS I GOING TO BE A CURATOR?

ART WRITER? MAYBE EVEN AN

ARTIST.

BUT IT WAS THE BUSINESS SIDE

THAT DREW ME.

THE DAY AFTER MY COLLEGE

GRADUATION, I DROVE DOWN TO NEW

YORK CITY, PARKED ON WEST

BROADWAY IN FRONT OF THE WEST

BROADWAY GALLERY BUILDING,

420 WEST BROADWAY. I'M LOOKING

FOR A JOB AND THE DIRECTOR,

NAOMI SPECTER, SAID, "WELL, OUR

SECRETARY JUST QUIT.

I DO NEED SOMEBODY."

I SPENT THE GREATEST YEAR OF MY

LIFE WORKING AS THE ALL-PURPOSE

GALLERY ASSISTANT, SECRETARY,

ART HANDLER, JANITOR, OFFICIAL

GREETER AT THE JOHN WEBER

GALLERY, ONE OF THE MOST RADICAL

GALLERIES IN THE WORLD BUT ALSO

THE CENTER OF THIS

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF

CONCEPTUAL AND MINIMAL ARTISTS.

I LEARNED THE MOST FROM THE

ARTISTS.

MY REAL MENTOR WAS SOL LEWITT.

HE WAS REALLY MY TEACHER.

I REMEMBER ONCE I EXPRESSED MY

ENTHUSIASM TO SOL ABOUT AN

ARTIST WHO WEBER WAS ABOUT TO

TAKE ON AND SOL JUST SAID,

"IS JUST SURFACE.

IT'S NO STRUCTURE." THAT STRUCK

ME SO MUCH AND WAS SUCH AN

EDUCATION, AND TO THIS DAY, I

ALWAYS TRY TO LOOK BEYOND THE

SURFACE, AND WHEN PAINTING IS

JUST SURFACE, NO, IT'S NOT

ENOUGH. IT HAS TO HAVE A FORMAL

OR INTELLECTUAL OR PHILOSOPHICAL

STRUCTURE AS WELL.

WHEN YOU SEE IT FROM A

DISTANCE, IT LOOKS LIKE A

VERSACE DESIGN.

WOMAN: THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING.

IS IT HERMES? AND THEN I LOOKED

CLOSE.

DEITCH: AND THEN IT'S VERY

SUBVERSIVE WHEN YOU ACTUALLY SEE

IT.

WOMAN: YEAH.

DEITCH: YEAH.

WOMAN: AND WHAT ABOUT THESE?

DEITCH: THIS IS THE TREASURE

BOX. AND THEY PUT THEIR

TREASURES IN IT.

IT'S A CELEBRATION OF THIS

SPECIAL WOODWORKING CRAFT WHICH

IS ALMOST A DYING CRAFT.

ALL CONSTRUCTED WITHOUT ANY

NAILS.

WOMAN: INCREDIBLE.

DEITCH: YEAH.

HE PARTICULARLY VALUES THIS.

WOMAN: [INDISTINCT].

DEITCH: THAT'S RIGHT. WELL,

THERE ARE--YEAH, SEE, THERE ARE

A LOT OF CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE

ITALIAN AND THE CHINESE.

AND THIS IS AMAZING--THE CRYSTAL

CUBE.

I HAVE TO WARN YOU NOT TO TOUCH

IT BECAUSE THE EDGES ARE VERY

SHARP.

WOMAN: OH. MUST HAVE BEEN NOT

EASY TO...

DEITCH: NOT EASY IS THE WORD.

THE LARGEST GLASS CRYSTAL EVER

MADE.

WOMAN: OH.

DEITCH: IT'S BEEN QUITE AN

ADVENTURE FOR ME TO START IN THE

ART WORLD

WHEN YOU COULDN'T EVEN CALL IT

A MARKET. IT WAS A COMMUNITY.

AT THE JOHN WEBER GALLERY, WE

HAD ONLY ONE MAJOR COLLECTOR--

COUNT PANZA FROM ITALY.

THE ONLY OTHER REGULAR CUSTOMER,

DOROTHY AND HERBERT VOGEL, THE

FAMOUS LIBRARIAN-POSTAL WORKER

COUPLE WHO CAME IN EVERY

SATURDAY WITH A CHECK FOR $50

ON ACCOUNT.

ALTOGETHER, SERIOUS COLLECTORS

OF CONTEMPORARY ART IN THE

WHOLE WORLD MAYBE NUMBERED 50.

YOU CAN BUY THESE INDIVIDUALLY.

THERE WILL BE 6 SETS OF THESE.

AND HALF THE SETS HAVE TO BE

SOLD TOGETHER AND THEN SO FAR,

THEY WANT TO BREAK UP TWO SETS

THAT I CAN SELL INDIVIDUALLY.

MARCIANO: OH, ONLY TWO.

DEITCH: YEAH.

THESE ARE, YEAH, THESE ARE THE

ONLY ONES THAT ARE FINISHED.

MARCIANO: THE OTHER ONES ARE NOT

FINISHED.

DEITCH: YEAH, WELL, THEY'RE

THE--BUT IT'S THE SAME.

IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME IMAGERY.

THE EXACT SAME ONE.

JUST COMPRESSED.

MARCIANO: OK.

DEITCH: SO, WHAT PEOPLE WILL DO

IS THEY WILL BUY THE ROMAN

ZODIAC SIGN.

MARCIANO: THE WHAT?

DEITCH: WHAT YEAR ARE YOU?

MARCIANO: I KNOW MINE.

I'M THE RAT.

[BOTH LAUGH]

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO

HOLD THE DRAGON.

BECAUSE MY BROTHER'S A DRAGON.

DEITCH: OK. THE DRAGON,

THAT'S GOING TO BE

THE FIRST ONE TO GO AND IT'S

GREAT IF IT CAN GO TO YOU.

MARCIANO: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

I'VE SEEN THE DRAGON.

IT'S HERE.

DEITCH: LOOK AT THAT.

THAT'S THE BEST ONE.

MARCIANO: YEAH.

DEITCH: AND ALSO SEE IT'S VERY

SPECIAL.

[MARCIANO SPEAKING

NATIVE LANGUAGE]

DEITCH: YEAH. IT'S VERY SPECIAL

BECAUSE IT HAS WEIWEI IN IT.

[MARCIANO SPEAKING

NATIVE LANGUAGE]

DRAGON. DRAGON.

DEITCH: I'M THE DRAGON, TOO.

IS YOUR--IS YOUR BROTHER 1952?

MARCIANO: YEAH. 52.

DEITCH: THAT'S IT.

I'M THE SAME AGE AS YOUR

BROTHER.

[MARCIANO SPEAKING

NATIVE LANGUAGE]

DEITCH: I-I LOVE THIS.

[MARCIANO SPEAKING

NATIVE LANGUAGE]

BYE. BYE.

NOW YOU SEE HOW WE

TRANSACT--HA HA!--INTERNATIONAL.

HA HA HA!

DEITCH: SO, IN THE SEVENTIES,

IT WAS JUST ABOUT ECONOMIC

SURVIVAL BECAUSE THERE JUST

WASN'T THAT MUCH MONEY AROUND.

I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I SAW

A STRETCH LIMOUSINE IN SOHO. I

WAS WALKING BY WITH JOHN WEBER

AND WE JUST BLEW OUR MINDS AND,

WOW, LET'S FIND OUT WHO THIS IS.

WE WENT INTO THE RESTAURANT TO

SEE IF WE COULD FIGURE IT OUT

AND GET THE PERSON TO THE

GALLERY BECAUSE THIS WAS SO

ASTONISHING. NOW, LIKE, YOU READ

ABOUT THE PRIVATE PLANES GOING

TO THE AIRPORT FOR ART BASEL AND

THEY REPORT WE HAD 60 LANDINGS

OF PRIVATE JETS TODAY.

IT'S--IT'S SUCH A DIFFERENT

WORLD.

SOME PEOPLE ARE VERY CYNICAL.

THEY LOOK AT THIS MARKET--"OH,

IT'S AWFUL NOW. IT'S ALL ABOUT

MONEY NOW."

WELL, A LOT OF IT IS ABOUT

MONEY, BUT THE ART BEING

PRODUCED RIGHT NOW IS

FASCINATING.

EMANUEL: [INDISTINCT] SMALL ONE.

I--I WANT--

DEITCH: OK, SO, THE--SO, THERE

ARE 3 SIZES. SO, THIS IS THE

INSTITUTIONAL SIZE.

MAN: THIS IS GOING TO ONE.

DEITCH: CORRECT. OK.

THEN THERE'S THE TWO-METER

SIZE, WHICH IS LIKE THOSE.

THEY ARE $250,000, WHERE WE'LL

HAVE TWO AVAILABLE AND THEN

THERE IS A SMALLER SIZE.

YOU'LL SEE THAT IT'S JUST...

EMANUEL: WHAT DO YOU THINK I

SHOULD GET?

DEITCH: AH, I'D--I'D GET--

I'D--I'D GO FOR IT.

EMANUEL: I AGREE WITH YOU.

DEITCH: YEAH.

EMANUEL: HE'S ONE OF THE

GREATEST ARTISTS LIVING.

DEITCH: HE IS. HE'S--HE'S--

HE'S THE WORLD'S FAMOUS--

MOST FAMOUS ARTIST TODAY.

EMANUEL: YEAH. I WANT IT.

DEITCH: AND--AND THESE--THERE--

THERE ARE--THERE ARE ALL GOING

TO GET SNAPPED UP.

EMANUEL: YEAH. I WANT--

I WANT MY OX.

DEITCH: OK, GREAT, GREAT.

WE'LL GET YOU THE OX.

EMANUEL: IS HE HERE? DID HE

COME?

DEITCH: HE'S BEEN COMING IN AND

OUT. HE'S--BECAUSE HE'S--HE

STILL HAS SOME MORE INSTALLATION

TO DO.

EMANUEL: HI.

DEITCH: THIS IS ARI EMANUEL.

EMANUEL: NICE TO MEET YOU.

AI: HI.

EMANUEL: THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

AI: I LIKE IT.

EMANUEL: YEAH.

DEITCH: AND SO, THERE'S MUCH

MORE THERE THAN YOU REALIZE.

SO, OF COURSE, IT LOOKS, IT

LOOKS LIKE A KIND OF VERSACE BUT

THEN YOU SEE--BUT YOU SEE IT'S

MADE WITH SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS,

HANDCUFFS, TWITTER SYMBOL.

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK IN, VERY

COMPLEX REFLECTIONS.

EMANUEL: OH, WOW.

DEITCH: YEAH, VERY HIDDEN.

EMANUEL: ARE YOU GOING TO BE IN

BEIJING OR SHANGHAI IN NOVEMBER?

AI: NO.

DEITCH: NO, HE'S, HE'S STAYING

IN THE WEST NOW.

WEIWEI...YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

SO, SO, SO, ARI, I SHOULD SAY,

HE RUNS THE LARGEST TALENT

AGENCY AND, YOU KNOW, MANY OTHER

THINGS OF AN ENTERTAINMENT

COMPANY AND HE'S BEEN PUTTING

TOGETHER A PHENOMENAL ART

COLLECTION.

AND WE JUST--

YEAH, HE--HE DIDN'T KNOW HIS

ZODIAC SIGN, BUT IT'S THE OX.

EMANUEL: WHICH IS, WHICH IS

DEFINITELY ME.

DEITCH: YEAH. YEAH. YEAH.

I SPENT BASICALLY THE

YEARS FROM 1979 TO 1988

DEVELOPING AND THEN CO-MANAGING

THE FIRST DEPARTMENT IN A BANK

THAT WAS FOCUSED ON THE ART

MARKET.

ADVISING COLLECTORS, ADVISING

ESTATES, FAMILIES THAT

INHERITED ART, AND THEN

BUILDING A LARGE BUSINESS

LENDING AGAINST ART.

WITH A NICE SALARY, WITH A BIG

EXPENSE ACCOUNT, ABILITY TO

TRAVEL ANYWHERE I WANTED,

ACCESS TO THE BACK ROOMS OF

EVERY MAJOR GALLERY TO INSIDE

WORKINGS AT THE AUCTION HOUSES,

ENTRY TO THE HOMES OF MANY

GREAT COLLECTORS.

I WAS ABLE TO GET A GREAT

EDUCATION IN THE INSIDES OF THE

ART MARKET.

BUT AFTER ALMOST 10 YEARS, IT

WAS TIME FOR ME TO OPEN MY OWN

BUSINESS, WHICH I DID IN 1988.

ALMOST ALL THE MAJOR CLIENTS

CAME WITH ME.

NO, NO, NO. THIS--

SO, THIS IS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE

AND THIS IS--IT'S 500,000.

580,000.

THE TEA IS 500 AND

THEN THE MARKETRY, THAT'S A

DIFFERENT PRICE. THAT'S A

MILLION DOLLARS.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS IN

EVERY CHINESE PEASANT HOME.

WOMAN: OK.

DEITCH: YOU SEE IT'S A PERFECT

DESIGN FORM WITH THE 3 LEGS.

YOU CANNOT IMPROVE UPON IT.

WOMAN: RIGHT.

DEITCH: HE'S SO ON TOP OF IT.

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HIM HERE

WITH THE ARRAY OF THIS AND...

WOMAN: ARRANGING.

DEITCH: YEAH. YEAH.

HE'S TOTALLY ON EVERYTHING.

HE'S ON TOP OF, NO, NO, YOU

CAN'T DO THIS, YOU HAVE TO DO

THAT. FOR THIS HE'D BE WORKING

IN A MARBLE QUARRY. FOR THE

PORCELAIN PIECE HE'S WORKING

WITH CERAMIC WORKSHOP.

BISSET: BUT FOR EXAMPLE, THEY--

THEY COULDN'T DO A TEST RUN ON

THIS. IT WOULD HAVE TO BE--YOU

CAN'T MAKE A MISTAKE

[INDISTINCT].

DEITCH: THAT'S CORRECT.

BISSET: THEY'VE GOT TO BE

ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.

DEITCH: YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

SO, THERE'S TREMENDOUS SKILL

THAT GOES INTO THIS. YEAH.

BISSET: DOES IT GO ALL--GO

UNDERNEATH AS WELL?

DEITCH: IT'S TOTALLY SOLID.

BISSET: TOTALLY SOLID.

DEITCH: 100% SOLID.

WOMAN: YOU WANTED TO SELL IT

OR YOU...?

DEITCH: THIS IS A BUSINESS.

[LAUGHTER]

IT'S--IT'S--IT'S ALL FOR SALE,

AND...YEAH.

I--I LIKE THAT.

I LIKE--THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO

ENGAGE THE PUBLIC. BUT, SEE, THE

IRONY IS WHEN WE WERE WORKING

TOGETHER IN MOCA WHEN CAROLINE

WAS ON THE BOARD, AND--AND SO,

THE IRONY, YOU SEE, IN A MUSEUM

SHOW IS SUPPOSED TO BE ALL

NON-COMMERCIAL.

HOWEVER, LIKE, AN EXAMPLE, WHEN

WE DID THE URS FISCHER SHOW, IT

WASN'T REALLY A COMMERCIAL SHOW.

A LOT BORROWED FROM COLLECTORS.

BUT THEN I CALCULATED JUST ON

THE PIECES THAT WERE AVAILABLE.

I THINK LARRY GAGOSIAN MADE

$10 MILLION.

SO, THAT'S THE CRAZY IRONY,

THAT--THAT MUSEUM SHOWS THAT

THE TAXPAYERS PAY FOR ALL THIS

AND ART DEALERS USE IT AS A

SHOWROOM.

THAT'S THE SYSTEM.

SO, HERE, IT'S JUST VERY DIRECT.

HA HA!

SCOTT: JEFFREY HOSTED ONE OF MY

SHOWS IN NEW YORK AT THE

ORIGINAL DEITCH PROJECTS.

WE DID A SHOW CALLED

SEXHIBITION, WHICH, I DID A

SERIES OF 12 PEEP SHOW BOOTHS,

AND THE THEORY WAS THAT YOU

WOULD GO INTO THE BOOTH AND

THERE WAS A MODEL THAT WAS IN

THE BOOTH IN THIS KIND OF WORLD.

SO, THEN WE DID A BOOK ABOUT

THAT FOLLOWING IT AND HE WAS

ALL--MY GALLERIST.

I WAS ONE OF THE FEW FASHION

DESIGNERS TO PROBABLY EVER HAVE

A GALLERIST.

SIMCHOWITZ: I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR A

LONG TIME. I LIVED IN NEW YORK.

I HAPPENED TO LIVE, LIKE, TWO

BLOCKS FROM THE GALLERY AND I

WOULD JUST GO TO THE GALLERY

ALMOST EVERY DAY. I PROBABLY SAW

OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS EVERY

SHOW HE EVER DID. AND, YOU KNOW,

I JUST WAS PART OF THE, PART OF

THAT GALLERY IN NEW YORK DURING

ITS FORMATIVE YEARS AND, YOU

KNOW, LOVED JEFFREY.

SAW THE ENERGY, SAW THE SHOWS,

SAW THE MACHINE CLOSE UP.

DEITCH: I WANTED TO CREATE A

SPACE WHERE EVERYONE WAS

WELCOME, WHERE SOMEBODY COMING

TO NEW YORK CITY FROM LOS

ANGELES, FROM ANY PLACE,

"WHERE SHOULD I GO?"

THE ANSWER WAS, "OH, GO TO

DEITCH PROJECTS."

SO MANY CREATIVE PEOPLE WANTED

TO PARTICIPATE AND DO PROJECTS.

SO MANY PEOPLE WANTED TO BE IN

THIS.

AND THE WORD IS SPREADING

AROUND TO ART SCHOOLS AROUND

THE COUNTRY.

WHAT WE'RE ABOUT IS TRYING TO

PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR NEW

CREATIVE COMMUNITY.

THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN THE

GALLERY.

I HAD NOTICED THAT I VISITED

STUDIOS.

ALMOST EVERY ARTIST SHOWED ME

THE NEW PAINTINGS, THE NEW

SCULPTURE, AND THEN "I WANT TO

SHOW YOU SOMETHING," AND THEY'D

SHOW ME A NOTEBOOK.

THIS IS THE PROJECT I REALLY

WANT TO DO.

I WISH I HAD THE RESOURCES AND

THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.

AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, I SAW

ARTISTS HAD DREAM PROJECTS

WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO REALIZE

THEM. SO, I SAID, "THIS IS WHAT

WE'RE GOING TO DO.

WE'RE GOING TO START DEITCH

PROJECTS. IT WON'T BE DEITCH

GALLERY."

I WOULD OFFER EACH ARTIST

$25,000 PRODUCTION MONEY

AND WE WOULD PRESENT

THEIR DREAM PROJECT. AND

THE DEAL WAS IF WE SOLD IT, WE

WOULD RECOUP THE $25,000

AND SPLIT THE REST.

AND IF WE DIDN'T SELL IT, I

WOULD KEEP THE WORK FOR MY OWN

COLLECTION.

AND IT TURNED OUT EVEN THOUGH I

THOUGHT I'D END UP KEEPING

ALMOST ALL THE WORK, FROM THE

BEGINNING, BEGAN SELLING THE

PIECES.

MANY OF THE PROJECTS WE PUT ON

WERE TOTALLY UNCOMMERCIAL.

THERE WAS NOTHING AT ALL TO

SELL. BUT I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT

IF YOU CREATE SOME MOMENTUM AND

CREATE EXCITEMENT, THE KIND OF

ART COLLECTORS WHO I WANT TO

DEAL WITH, THEY'RE GOING TO

SHOW UP.

I ATTRACTED VERY INTERESTING

PEOPLE AND WE DID SOME

FANTASTIC THINGS.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE

PROMINENT IN LOS ANGELES WHO

GOT VERY ENGAGED WITH WHAT I

WAS DOING AT DEITCH PROJECTS.

THEY WANTED TO BRING THIS TO

LOS ANGELES AND THEY THOUGHT MY

APPROACH WAS THE FRESH,

COMMUNITY-ORIENTED APPROACH

THAT WAS PERFECT FOR MOCA AT

THIS STAGE.

WHEN I WENT TO MOCA, I MADE

A TREMENDOUS SACRIFICE.

I HAD A THRIVING BUSINESS.

MILLIONS EVERY YEAR.

AND I SHUT IT DOWN 100%.

GAVE UP ALL THE ARTIST

RELATIONSHIPS, GAVE UP THE

COLLECTOR ADVISORY

RELATIONSHIPS, STARTED OFF

GREAT WITH THE PAINTING FACTORY

SHOWS LIKE ART IN THE STREETS.

WELCOME, EVERYBODY.

WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY DAY

TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF ART

IN THE STREETS.

THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR

HISTORICAL EXHIBITION

ON THE HISTORY OF GRAFFITI AND

STREET ART EVER PRESENTED

IN AN AMERICAN MUSEUM.

ART IN THE STREETS WAS SO

WIDELY EMBRACED BY A WIDE

PUBLIC BUT WAS SHOCKING TO

CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE

ESTABLISHMENT.

SAID, "STREET ART BELONGS ON

THE STREETS, NOT IN A MUSEUM."

I REALIZED THERE WERE PEOPLE IN

THE COMMUNITY WHO DIDN'T WANT

ME THERE AND WOULD NOT STOP

UNTIL I WAS EVENTUALLY DRIVEN

OUT.

EVENTUALLY, IT WAS UNTENABLE AND

I NEEDED TO MOVE ON.

I'M ON A NEW CHAPTER NOW.

AND WHEN I OPEN A NEW CHAPTER,

I DON'T WIPE OUT WHAT CAME

BEFORE, I JUST GO TO A NEW

PLACE. IT'S EXCITING FOR ME.

[INAUDIBLE SPEECH]

BUT IT'S ALL GOING TO GO PUBLIC

AS OF NEXT SPRING.

WOMAN: OH, COOL.

DEITCH: YEAH. THE 4 BOOKS

ON HER WORK COMING OUT AND--

WOMAN: YEAH.

DEITCH: YEAH, BUT THAT'S STILL

UNDER EMBARGO, RIGHT?

YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT YET?

NO.

WOMAN: YOU HAVE 4 BOOKS COMING

OUT [INDISTINCT].

DEITCH: HELLO, STEFAN!

SIMCHOWITZ: HOW ARE YOU?

DEITCH: GOOD TO SEE YOU.

SIMCHOWITZ: JULIA, JEFFREY.

DEITCH: YEAH, WE MET LAST NIGHT.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. YEAH.

YEAH. PAIGE. YOU MET PAIGE SOME

YEARS AGO, YEAH, STEFAN, YEAH.

SIMCHOWITZ: [INDISTINCT].

WOMAN: IT'S A NICE PARTY.

DEITCH: YEAH. EVERY DAY, HE

WOULD--HE WOULD GO TO A CAFE

ON--

SIMCHOWITZ: CAFE CAFE.

DEITCH: ON GREEN STREET AND HANG

OUT THERE FOR A WHILE.

THEN HE'D WALK OVER TO MY PLACE

AND JUST ABSORB EVERYTHING.

AND MEET PEOPLE.

SIMCHOWITZ: TWIST IT UP A LITTLE

BIT.

DEITCH: YEAH.

SIMCHOWITZ: THROW IT OUT THE

OTHER SIDE.

DEITCH: YEAH. YEAH. YEAH.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

SIMCHOWITZ: [INDISTINCT].

DEITCH: YEAH. IT'S ALSO

A LITTLE BIT LIKE

VIENNA 1910.

IT'S VERY MODERNIST.

WOMAN: IT'S DIGGING DEEP INTO MY

CLOSET 10 YEARS AGO.

DEITCH: WAS THIS MATERIAL.

YES, IT'S REALLY--YES.

IT'S ONE OF THE BEST PIECES

PAWEL EVER DID.

WOMAN: IT'S FANTASTIC.

DEITCH: YEAH.

WOMAN: AND YOUR FACE, IT'S

SO PERFECT.

[DEITCH LAUGHS]

AND HE DID THE LIFE CAST IN

THE MIDDLE OF UNION SQUARE

STATION IN NEW YORK.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T

SEE ANYTHING.

AND THEN WE TOOK THE MASK OFF.

THERE ARE 250 PEOPLE

STANDING AROUND AND WATCHING.

YEAH. YEAH. YEAH.

I LUCKED OUT. I--I HAD--

I--I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF

LOS FELIZ.

AND THIS IS ALL GAETANO PESCE.

THE MOUNTAIN SOFA AND THEN THE

MODULAR, THAT'S GAETANO PESCE.

AND THIS IS SASCHA BRAUNIG.

THAT'S JORDAN, WHO IS OUR

NEIGHBOR.

JORDAN BOUGHT A HOUSE 3

HOUSES AWAY.

WOMAN: [INDISTINCT].

DEITCH: AND THEN, FOR THOSE WHO

HAVEN'T BEEN HERE BEFORE, THIS

IS A SPECIAL TABLE THAT URS

FISCHER MADE FOR THE HOUSE WITH

CARY GRANT.

AND THEN IMAGES OF ME FROM

ROBERT LONGO'S "MEN IN THE

CITIES."

THAT IS MAN RAY FROM 1920.

MAN: NO.

DEITCH: IT'S CALLED, IT'S

CALLED "OBSTRUCTION."

IT'S ONE OF THE GREAT PIECES OF

THE HISTORICAL AVANT GARDE AND,

SO, 1920.

SO, FIRST, IT'S, YOU KNOW,

THIS--THIS RELATES TO WHAT

WEIWEI IS DOING.

I--I THINK THIS MAY BE THE FIRST

ACCUMULATION PIECE.

AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER THIS COMES

ARMAND AND SO MUCH WEIWEI.

THEN IT--IT ALSO, IT--IT FUSES

THAT KIND OF SENSE OF POP.

IT'S SO--IT'S--IT'S ONE OF THE

EARLIEST PIECES OF POP ART,

IN A WAY.

AND THIS IS THE BIG MYSTERY.

SO, ONE OF THE GREATEST ARTISTS

OF THE 20TH CENTURY.

THE HOUSEHOLD NAME.

AND THE SECOND CLUE IS THAT

EVERYTHING IS DONE WITH A

MECHANICAL PROCESS.

THE THIRD CLUE IS THAT THE DATE

IS APPROXIMATELY 1954.

SO, IT'S A VERY EARLY ANDY

WARHOL.

WOMAN: OH, MY GOD.

DIFFERENT WOMAN: I WAS GOING TO

SAY RAUSCHENBERG.

DEITCH: AND IT'S--IT'S GOING TO

BE IN THE WHITNEY MUSEUM FOR

THE BIG WARHOL SHOW.

PEOPLE WHO SAY, WELL, ANDY

WARHOL, HE WAS JUST AN

ILLUSTRATOR IN THE FIFTIES, NO.

HE WAS REALLY WORKING ALREADY

TRYING TO REINVENT HOW TO MAKE A

PAINTING. YEAH.

WHAT I DID AT CITIBANK, I--I

HELPED PEOPLE WITH THE

CONTEMPORARY ART BECAUSE I LOVED

IT. AND FOUND PEOPLE WHO SHARED

MY INTERESTS, BUT IT WAS NOT

ABOUT INVESTMENT.

PEOPLE COLLECTED IT BECAUSE

THEY BELIEVED IN IT.

IT WAS NOT A FINANCIAL ASSET.

WHATEVER WE WERE INTERESTED IN

BUYING, IT WAS AVAILABLE.

THERE--THERE WAS MORE SUPPLY

THAN DEMAND.

NOW IT'S AN EXTREME SITUATION

BECAUSE OF ALL THESE ART BLOGS.

SOME OF THESE BLOGS HAVE A

MILLION READERS.

SO, WITHOUT EXAGGERATION, THERE

ARE A MILLION PEOPLE WHO KNOW

THE TOP 10 EMERGING ARTISTS IN

LOS ANGELES.

IT'S HARD TO KNOW--HOW DO WE

DEAL WITH THIS?

BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW.

RASHITA WOULD LIKE TO ACQUIRE A

WORK OF YOURS.

AND WE TALKED AND "WELL, LET'S

CALL UP ALEX ON THE PHONE."

RASHITA: I'M A BIG FAN OF YOUR

WORK. [LAUGHS]

ISRAEL: THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

RASHITA: YOU'RE WELCOME.

ISRAEL: WE HAD A PARTY FRIDAY

NIGHT.

RASHITA: OH, I MISSED THE BEST

PARTY.

ISRAEL: IT WAS REALLY FUN.

DEITCH: BUT THERE WERE, WHAT--

500 PEOPLE HERE?

ISRAEL: NO, JEFFREY, NO, NO.

DEITCH: LET'S START WITH A TOUR.

ISRAEL: OK.

DEITCH: AND SO, THE AGENDA IS,

WELL, FIRST, RASHITA AND THE

FAMILY SHE WORKS WITH, THEY'RE

INTERESTED IN BUYING ANOTHER

VERSION...

ISRAEL: OH, GREAT.

DEITCH: OF ONE OF THE FLATS.

ISRAEL: AMAZING.

DEITCH: SO, WE'RE GONNA SEE THAT

IN NEW YORK NEXT WEEK.

ISRAEL: SO, THIS IS A WORK FROM

A SERIES THAT I DID WITH BRET

EASTON ELLIS.

DEITCH: THIS ONE'S PARTICULARLY

GREAT.

ISRAEL: I ALWAYS FELT LIKE

FROZEN YOGURT WOULD HAVE BEEN,

LIKE, A PROP FROM A MOVIE ABOUT

MY LIFE, YOU KNOW, IF

THERE EVER WAS ONE.

IT ACTUALLY BEGAN AS A PROJECT

RELATED TO SUNGLASSES.

WE WANTED TO CREATE A KIND OF

GARDEN ATMOSPHERE BASED ON THE

FABRIC.

SPF 18.

DEITCH: FANTASTIC COVER.

ISRAEL: IT'S DESIGNED LIKE A

HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK FOR A

FICTITIOUS HIGH SCHOOL CALLED

PACIFIC COAST HIGH.

FOR A LONG TIME, WE MADE ALL MY

PAINTINGS AT WARNER BROTHERS.

DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THESE

SELF-PORTRAITS?

I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT

INSTAGRAM BECAME THIS TOOL.

EVERYBODY SORT OF HAD THE TOOLS

TO BECOME THEIR OWN BRAND AND I

STARTED TO USE THIS LOGO AND

THIS IMAGE IN ASSOCIATION WITH

ALL OF MY WORK AND ALL OF MY

PROJECTS.

IT WAS A LITTLE EMBARRASSING, I

HAVE TO ADMIT, BECAUSE PUTTING

YOUR FACE OUT THERE IN THIS WAY

IS, IS, UM...

[TRUCK BEEPING]

OH, SHOULD WE WAIT?

[BEEPING CONTINUES]

DEITCH: WELL, I REMEMBER I HAD

DONE A STUDIO VISIT, THE MFA

STUDENT STUDIOS, AND I NOTICED

THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS

FOLLOWING US AROUND.

ISRAEL: I DON'T REMEMBER THIS.

DEITCH: AND--AND I SAID--

AND THAT WAS ALEX.

I THINK--WERE YOU ONLY A

FRESHMAN AT THAT TIME?

ISRAEL: OH, YEAH. IT'S BEEN

HALF MY LIFE, JEFFREY.

THAT'S HALF MY LIFE, YEAH.

DEITCH: E-EVEN AT MY AGE,

I'M 66 YEARS OLD,

I'M ACTUALLY STILL ABLE TO LOOK

AT THE CURRENT SCENE AND FIGURE

OUT WHAT SOME OF THE MOST

INTERESTING TRENDS ARE AND PUT

IT TOGETHER WITH AN AESTHETIC

AND INTELLECTUAL FRAMEWORK

AROUND IT.

LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT

ABOUT THE PEOPLE EXHIBITION.

IT'S LARGELY INSPIRED BY ONE OF

THE MOST REMARKABLE EXHIBITIONS

IN BOOKS IN RECENT ART HISTORY.

MIKE KELLEY'S "THE UNCANNY."

IT WAS AN EXHIBITION AND A BOOK

PROJECT THAT EXPLORED THE

COUNTERHISTORY OF SCULPTURE.

SCULPTURE COMING FROM

MANNEQUINS, WAX MUSEUMS, A VERY

DIFFERENT HISTORY THAN THE

HISTORY OF SCULPTURE COMING

FROM RODIN, GIACOMETTI, THE

MORE CONVENTIONAL NOTIONS OF

SCULPTURE.

AND YOU SEE IT'S THIS COUNTER-

HISTORY THAT HAS INSPIRED SO

MANY OF THE INTERESTING ARTISTS

TODAY.

ACTUALLY, THERE IS ONLY ONE

PIECE IN THE SHOW THAT IS MORE

TRADITIONALLY MADE.

THAT'S THOMAS HOUSEAGO'S.

THE OTHER VERY INTERESTING

ASPECT OF THIS AND THE ESSENCE

OF "THE UNCANNY" IS THIS

CONFUSION, DELIBERATE

CONFUSION, BETWEEN WHO IS ALIVE

AND WHAT IS AN OBJECT.

SO, THIS WORK BY NARCISSISTER

IS WONDERFUL TO HAVE IN THE

FOREFRONT.

THEN WE ADDED SOMETHING VERY

IMPORTANT FOR THE SHOW, THIS

LIVE MODEL FROM VANESSA

BEECROFT, BECAUSE THE WHOLE

INSTALLATION IS INSPIRED BY A

VANESSA BEECROFT PERFORMANCE

WHERE ALL THE MODELS ARE LINED

UP IN A KIND OF FORMATION LIKE

THIS FACING THE FRONT.

SO, THOSE ARE THE TWO IMPORTANT

REFERENCES.

MIKE KELLEY'S "UNCANNY"

AND VANESSA BEECROFT.

I ALWAYS WORK

FOR A LONG TERM OVER

DEVELOPING IDEAS AND THIS SET

OF IDEAS ABOUT CONTEMPORARY

APPROACHES TO FIGURATION,

WHETHER IT'S IN A PERFORMANCE

MODE, SCULPTURE,

PAINTING--THAT'S ONE OF THE

NEXT SHOWS COMING ON REALISM.

IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTEMPORARY

REPRESENTATIONS OF THE FIGURE.

HEY, BILL, HEY.

BILL BELL: CONGRATULATIONS.

MARIA BELL: IT'S SO GREAT.

I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!

DEITCH: YEAH, THIS IS MY SPIRIT.

YEAH.

MARIA BELL: IT'S FANTASTIC.

DEITCH: THIS LOOKS PRETTY GOOD,

DOESN'T IT?

MARIA BELL: IT DOES.

BILL BELL: I'M RECOGNIZING SO

MANY OLD FRIENDS AND SOME NEW,

YOU KNOW.

DEITCH: WELL, A FEW THINGS.

SO, THE KIKI SMITH IS ALSO MINE.

THAT'S THE ANDY MONUMENT.

YEAH. SO, SO,

THIS IS--THIS SORT OF

NEIGHBORHOOD OF JEFF, ROB,

ASHLEY BICKERTON.

DID YOU SEE THE KARON DAVIS?

I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE KARON

DAVIS, BECAUSE SHE'S A GREAT

ARTIST.

SEE, YOU LOOK, LOOK AT THIS

AND YOU SEE SHE HAS SO MUCH

HUMANITY HERSELF AND SHE'S ABLE

TO TRANSFER THAT HUMANITY INTO

AN INANIMATE OBJECT.

MARIA BELL: SHE'S AN INCREDIBLE

PERSON.

DEITCH: SO, SO, SO...

ONE OF THE OUTSTAND--ONE OF THE

REALLY OUTSTANDING ARTISTS.

BEECROFT: WELL, I'VE, I--SINCE I

KNEW JEFFREY, I ALWAYS THOUGHT

HE WAS A CLASSIC.

SO, HE'S NEVER GONNA DISAPPEAR.

HE'S NEVER GONNA LEAVE.

SO, DESPITE HIS MOVEMENTS--

NEW YORK, L.A., MUSEUM, GALLERY.

I--CURATOR.

I THOUGHT JEFFREY IS JEFFREY.

JEFFREY IS FOREVER.

SO, I'M HAPPY BECAUSE THIS IS MY

FIRST DAY IN THIS GALLERY SINCE

THE OPEN AND AGAIN I RECOGNIZE

CERTAIN ELEMENTS THAT WERE THE

SAME AS NEW YORK, AND IN THE

EXHIBITION, I SEE HIS IDENTITY.

THAT IS THE ONE OF COLLECTING

GROUPS OF WORKS THAT HAVE A

COMMON DENOMINATOR AND TITLING

THEM WITH SOME VERY CLEVER

CONCEPT.

TO BE HONEST, I DO NOT FOLLOW

THE ART WORLD.

FOR SUPERSTITION, I ALWAYS BEEN

AWAY FROM THE SCENE.

SO, I DON'T EVEN THINK LOCALLY.

BUT I BELIEVE THAT WHEREVER

CONTEMPORARY ART IS, JEFFREY

SHOULD BE AND IS.

DEITCH: OH, GREAT. WELL, SEE,

SEE, BECAUSE, SEE, PEOPLE CAN

RELATE TO PEOPLE.

BEECROFT: YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THEY

SAY. THEY SAY, "WHICH ONE IS

REAL? I DON'T KNOW WHICH

ONE IS." THAT'S WHAT THE

CONCEPT IS.

DEITCH: YOUR--SHE'S PERFECT.

WOW.

SHE KNOWS, SHE KNOWS EXACTLY

WHAT TO DO.

BEECROFT: I TOLD HER, I SAID,

"YOU'RE A REGAL PERSON."

DEITCH: YEAH.

YEAH.

THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL--

ALL YOU NEED IS THAT

INSTRUCTION.

YEAH. YEAH.

YEAH.

MAN: THIS IS AMAZING.

IT'S [BLEEP] AMAZING.

DEITCH: YEAH, THIS IS WHAT WE

DO. WE DO AMAZING. YEAH.

WAIT JUST A SECOND, ARE WE GOOD?

ARE--ARE WE READY TO LIGHT?

THERE ARE TWO TASKS FOR YOU.

OK? ONE IS JUST TO MONITOR THIS.

MAN: YEAH.

DEITCH: AND THE OTHER IS IN THE

UNLIKELY EVENT THAT SOMEONE,

LIKE, PICKS UP A FRENCH FRY OR

SOMETHING, JUST MONITOR THE

JOSH KLINE. OK? THANKS.

YEAH. SO, YOU CAN STAY IN THIS

AREA.

WOMAN: YOU AND I NEED TO GET

TOGETHER. I GOT SOME AMAZING

[BLEEP] THAT I WANT TO SHOW YOU.

DEITCH: OK.

I WANT TO COME.

WOMAN: ESPECIALLY THE STUFF WE

DID IN BRAZIL.

I'LL TELL YOU, RED LIGHT

DISTRICT, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.

DEITCH: OK. OK.

I JUST--I JUST WANT TO--YEAH,

I WANT TO--OK. OK. OK.

OK, SO,

SO, WE DON'T--YOU KNOW, WE'D

LIKE--DON'T--DON'T GET TOO

CLOSE. OK? SO, WE WANT TO KEEP

SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THIS.

BECAUSE IT'S DANGER--IT'S

DANGEROUS.

THIS IS--THIS IS AN AMAZING

THING.

MAN: IT'S AMAZING. IT'S CRAZY.

DEITCH: YEAH.

MAN: WILD, NO?

WHO IS THIS ARTIST?

DEITCH: THIS IS NARCISSISTER.

MAN: WHO?

DEITCH: NARCISSISTER.

NARCISSISTER IS ONE OF THE

ARTISTS I STARTED OFF.

MAN: WHAT? NARCISSIST COLLECTOR?

DEITCH: NARCISSISTER.

MAN: NARCISSISTER.

DEITCH: THAT'S THE ARTIST.

MAN: CRAZY.

FLORES: IT DOES NOT GET ANY

BETTER THAN THAT.

DEITCH: YEAH.

SO, WHAT--BECAUSE IT'S NOT

TOTALLY STABLE, WHAT WE DID IS

WE PUT SOME LITTLE SHIMS

UNDERNEATH.

FLORES: JEFFREY--WHO DOESN'T

KNOW? IF YOU'RE IN THE ART

WORLD, YOU KNOW WHO JEFFREY

DEITCH IS. I HAD SOME WORK AT

PIO PICO, WHICH IS A GALLERY

HERE IN L.A., IN ONE OF THE BACK

ROOMS, AND APPARENTLY, JEFFREY

WAS WALKING THROUGH THE SPACE,

HE WAS MEETING WITH ANOTHER

ARTIST, AND WHEN HE WALKED INTO

THE SPACE, THIS BACK SPACE, HE

SAW MY WORK AND WAS STRUCK BY IT

AND WANTED TO INCLUDE MY WORK.

IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE HOW HE--

HE GOES FROM ONE POSITION TO

ANOTHER AND HOW HE'S ABLE TO

SORT OF MANEUVER AND MAKE

THINGS WORK IN THE WAY THAT HE

WANTS THEM TO WORK.

YEAH. IT'S JUST, LIKE, SUPER,

SUPER INTERESTING TO SEE HIM

COME BACK AND OPEN THIS AMAZING,

HUGE SPACE, AND, YEAH, IT'S

JUST, IT'S CRAZY.

DEITCH: FIRST, THE GALLERY IN

LOS ANGELES IS MORE GROWN UP

THAN WHAT I DID IN NEW YORK

CITY. I STARTED THE NEW YORK

GALLERY WHEN I WAS IN MY LATE

THIRTIES. I'M 66 YEARS OLD NOW.

DIFFERENT STAGE OF LIFE. SO,

IT'S LESS ABOUT THE BIG SOCIAL

PLATFORM OF ITS...I'VE...

I THINK I'VE HAD MY FILL OF

GIGANTIC PARTIES THAT--WHERE THE

PLACE IS TRASHED AFTERWARDS AND

WE HAVE TO SPEND 3 DAYS

CLEANING UP.

I DON'T NEED TO DO THAT ANYMORE.

SATURDAY IS AN ACTIVE DAY AT

THE GALLERY. SO, A NUMBER OF

PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME, "SORRY I

COULDN'T MAKE IT LAST WEEK

DURING YOUR OPENING WEEKEND

BUT WE'RE COMING TODAY." SO, I

AM EXPECTING SOME GOOD VISITORS.

AND ALSO, SATURDAY IS THE

TRADITIONAL DAY TO VISIT A

GALLERY TO

SERIOUS COLLECTORS, MUSEUMS,

PEOPLE WITH WHOM I'VE ALREADY

DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP.

THE MISSION WITH THE GALLERY

HERE IS TO DEVELOP SOME NEW

RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOS ANGELES

COLLECTORS AND OVER TIME BUILD

CONFIDENCE.

GOOD MORNING.

INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO THE VISION

THAT WE ARE TRYING TO

ARTICULATE. AND I'M CONFIDENT

THAT WE WILL INSPIRE PEOPLE AND

MAKE SOME SALES.

I AM SO FORTUNATE THAT FRANK

GEHRY, AS HE PUT IT, VOLUNTEERED

TO HANDLE THE DESIGN.

ISN'T THIS JUST GREAT?

THIS IS LOS ANGELES.

YEAH, THAT--THAT'S FROM MY

COLLECTION. SO, THIS IS WHAT

THIS WHOLE--WHOLE PROJECT'S

ABOUT. THE ABILITY TO DO SOME

MUSEUM-LEVEL SHOWS HERE.

SO I CAN HAVE FUN. YES.

AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN SELL

ENOUGH SO THAT I CAN KEEP GOING

BECAUSE IT IS EXPENSIVE TO DO A

SHOW LIKE THIS.

BLOCK: I WANTED TO GET THAT AT

BASEL.

DEITCH: OH, JOSH KLINE.

HE'S THE BEST.

SO, I BOUGHT ONE OF THESE FOR MY

OWN COLLECTION.

SO, WE HAVE FOUNDATIONAL ARTISTS

LIKE KOONS, KIKI SMITH, DUANE

HANSON.

THEN THE NEXT GENERATION LIKE

FRANK BENSON, THE YOUNGER

GENERATION.

BLOCK: YEAH.

DEITCH: AND YOU KNOW WHAT THIS

IS ABOUT. SO, HE, HE'S VERY

INTERESTED AND, YOU KNOW,

CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING

IN OUR COUNTRY AND OUR ECONOMY

AND FOCUSING ON A KIND OF YOUNG

MAN WHO'S, WHO'S A--WHO'S A

WAITER AT THE TEXAS ROADHOUSE.

BLOCK: RIGHT.

DEITCH: SO, THIS IS AN ACTUAL

PERSON. HE HAD A CASTING AGENT

GO TO BALTIMORE.

THIS GUY WAS CAST AND

THEN BODY SCANNED.

BLOCK: OH, HOW--HOW TERRIFIC.

DEITCH: AND THEN ALL THE

ELEMENTS ARE 3-D PRINTED.

I THINK THIS IS REALLY

IMPORTANT WORK.

AND THIS IS WHAT I BOUGHT FOR

MYSELF.

YOU CAN BUY THE WHOLE THING.

BLOCK: YEP.

DEITCH: WHICH I WOULD RECOMMEND.

THIS--THESE TWO, THEY'RE 50,000

EACH. THIS ONE IS 60,000.

IF YOU BOUGHT ALL 3,

WE TRY TO MAKE SOME,

MAKE SOME DEAL.

BLOCK: WHAT'S THAT?

IS THAT [INDISTINCT]?

DEITCH: NO, BECAUSE THIS IS AN

ODD PIECE.

THESE--YEAH, THESE ARE ODD.

THESE--THESE ARE NOT

THAT SALEABLE.

BLOCK: REALLY?

DEITCH: YOU WANT TO SEE A GREAT

HARING L.A. II?

I COULD SHOW YOU SOMETHING IN

THE BACK.

BLOCK: YEAH.

DEITCH: OK. WE'LL DO THAT.

WHICH--WHICH IS REASONABLY

PRICED AT A MILLION AND A HALF,

AND SO, YOU CAN MAKE A JUDGMENT

OF WHAT THIS SHOULD BE.

BLOCK: YES, AND I THINK THAT

BARBARA HAD THAT AND THAT

SOMEWHERE OVER THAT.

YOU KNOW, WHERE SHE IS.

DEITCH: WELL, ALSO, THESE ARE

ESTATE PRICES, SO.

YOU WANT TO SEE THE--LOOK THE

SHOW FIRST OR GO IN BACK?

I'LL--I'LL--I'LL HAVE KUGER.

LET'S GO BACK AND HE'LL

GET THE HARING.

KUGER, BILL WOULD LIKE TO SEE

THE KEITH HARING L.A. II.

SO, I'M GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT

THIS AND WE CAN BRING THE OTHER

ONE OUT.

OK. ISN'T THIS INCREDIBLE?

BUT LOOK AT THE BACK, TOO,

BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE.

THIS IS--THIS IS THE KEITH

HARING L.A. II.

AND, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THAT--

REALLY, THE GREAT WORK. IT'S ON

FOUND WOOD LIKE THIS AND I LOVE

THE STREET QUALITY.

BLOCK: YEAH.

DEITCH: OK, SO, WE'RE GOING TO

PUT IT UP FOR YOU.

SO, THE OTHER THING THAT I'M

DOING HERE IS I WANT TO HAVE A

SERIOUS BACK ROOM.

BLOCK: YEAH.

DEITCH: WHICH NOT TOO MANY

PEOPLE ARE DOING IN LOS ANGELES.

YOU REALLY CAN'T SEE THINGS

LIKE THIS HERE.

THIS ACTUALLY NEEDS A REALLY

LONG VIEW. LIKE, IF YOU

SERIOUSLY WANTED TO SEE IT, WE

WOULD SET IT UP SO YOU CAN SEE

IT FROM 30 FEET AWAY.

SO, THIS HAS A REAL STREET

IMMEDIA QUALITY.

SO, THE ORIGIN OF THIS PIECE

IS--DO YOU REMEMBER THE

FIORUCCI STORE?

BLOCK: SURE.

DEITCH: IN MIDTOWN NEAR

BLOOMINGDALE'S?

BLOCK: ...FIORUCCI.

DEITCH: YES. OK.

SO, THE ARTISTS LOVED TO HANG

OUT THERE AND--AND--

BLOCK: WHAT A GREAT BRAND. WHAT

HAPPENED TO IT? [INDISTINCT].

DEITCH: A-AS RUDI GERNREICH

SAID, "FASHION GOES OUT OF

FASHION."

BLOCK: FASHION.

FASHION GOES OUT OF FASHION.

DEITCH: OK? ART DOESN'T IF IT'S

GOOD. AND SO...

BLOCK: WE MUST HAVE MISSED EACH

OTHER AT STUDIO 54.

DEITCH: SO, KEITH WAS

COMMISSIONED. YEAH, YOU CAN SEE

THERE ARE MANY FIGURES HERE.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF

KEITH'S WORK OF BRINGING L.A.

II INTO IT AND YOU SEE

ALL THE L.A. II TAGS.

RIGHT. RIGHT.

SOMETHING THAT WHERE KEITH HAD

THIS GENIUS. IT'S--

BLOCK: SO, IT'S

[INDISTINCT] VERSION?

DEITCH: WELL, IT'S

LISTED AS KEITH HARING L.A. II.

THIS IS--THIS IS DIFFERENT

BECAUSE THIS IS KEITH'S CONCEPT

TO BRING IN L.A. II

TO WORK ON THE PAINTING IN--

WHICH HE DIRECTS AND IT'S LESS--

IT'S NOT AN EVEN COLLABORATION

LIKE WARHOL BASQUIAT.

AND ALSO, SEE, I LOVE THIS

HOVERING BETWEEN ABSTRACTION,

FIGURATION, AND THE TAGGING.

HE'S GOT 3 ELEMENTS HERE.

BLOCK: HOW MUCH IS IT?

DEITCH: THIS IS A MILLION AND A

HALF DOLLARS.

BLOCK: AND IT'S WORTH IT.

YEAH.

THAT'S A--THAT'S--THAT'S...

YOU'RE KILLING ME HERE TODAY.

THIS IS GREAT STUFF. [LAUGHS]

IT'S--

DEITCH: WELL, THIS IS WHAT WE

DO.

BLOCK: YES.

MAY I TAKE A SHOT?

DEITCH: OF COURSE.

BLOCK: THANK YOU.

DEITCH: HE HASN'T BEEN HERE YET.

BLOCK: HE HASN'T BEEN HERE?

HE'S GOT--JESUS CHRIST. OK.

"UNCANNY."

DEITCH: YES, THIS IS "UNCANNY."

A LOT OF--A LOT OF INTERESTING

THINGS GO ON HERE.

BLOCK: YES, INDEED.

OK. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE

A PHOTO OVER HERE.

UH, THAT'S BEAUTIFUL HERE.

DEITCH: JUST BY MY LONGEVITY,

I GUESS, I AM PART OF THE

ESTABLISHMENT, BUT THAT'S NOT

WHERE I SEE MYSELF AT ALL.

IT WOULD BE TRAGIC IF THE ART

WORLD, ART MARKET STRUCTURES

ITSELF JUST TO CATER TO PEOPLE

WHO GIVE BIG MONEY TO MUSEUMS,

WHO BUY MEGA ART, WHO HAVE

PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS.

I AM ALL FOR CONNECTING WITH

PEOPLE WHO LOVE ART AND WANT TO

DO SOMETHING BIG AND EARN A

POSITION TO DO SOMETHING BIG

TO SUPPORT IT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN

ONE WHO BELIEVES ART IS FOR THE

PEOPLE.

I'M VERY INSPIRED BY THIS

STATEMENT THAT GILBERT AND

GEORGE, GREAT LONDON ARTISTS,

USED--"ART FOR ALL."

EVERY DAY, THERE WERE DOZENS OF

PEOPLE COMING IN, SAYING, "OH,

HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE TO PAY?"

THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THAT

COMMERCIAL GALLERIES ARE FREE.

THE ONLY THING I CAN DO AT

THIS STAGE, I JUST--I'M JUST

MYSELF AND I DO WHAT I DO.

A THING THAT I CAN OFFER IS ALL

THIS EXPERIENCE AND A

CURATORIAL VISION, AND LUCKILY,

ENOUGH ARTISTS WANT TO BE PART

OF THAT.

[MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

[DIFFERENT MAN SPEAKING

INDISTINCTLY]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

MAN: GO THAT WAY. A LITTLE BIT.

COME UP.

ANNOUNCER: THIS PROGRAM WAS

MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY

A GRANT FROM ANNE RAY

FOUNDATION, A MARGARET A.

CARGILL PHILANTHROPY. THE LOS

ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF

SUPERVISORS THROUGH THE LOS

ANGELES COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION.

THE LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF

CULTURAL AFFAIRS. THE

CALIFORNIA HUMANITIES. AND THE

CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL.