Dave’s Luncheonette and the Art-Corps
At about 4:00 a.m. on a spring morning, my friend, abstract painter Dale Threlkeld, and I found ourselves at a little coffee shop called Dave's Luncheonette after a full night of entertainment at the Mudd Club. It was just around the corner from the Mudd Club. On any night, one could find a number of hip Mudd Club-ites there sharing their evening adventures and stories. The breakfast special was only one dollar and included potatoes and toast with coffee. The food wasn't bad, but the coffee was horrendous.
As I look back, I can see the punksters, the new wave kids, and the crossover chic that had decided to party at the Mudd instead of Studio 54. Among them that morning was Jean-Michel. It was early in 1979, and although I had already spent some time with Jean-Michel, I was still getting to know him.
I introduced Dale and Jean-Michel and was mesmerized as I watched these two spirited artists talking about future fame and what courses to plot in order to achieve it. Jean-Michel told us about his idea called “Art-Corps.” The concept of this gorilla art/performance group was to deface existing gallery storefront windows with their own graffiti. As a first attack, they were planning a “hit” on the Leo Castelli Gallery, located at 420 West Broadway. The idea: a gigantic Art-Corps logo painted on the front gallery window.
