1983 (sold)

Acrylic on shaped panel

19 1/4 x  11 1/4 inches

Signed, dated and inscribed verso  To Dianne love Keith 1984

Ex-collection
The Artist
Collection of Dianne Brill 1984 until 2015

Keith Haring and Dianne Brill

Dianne Brill arrived in New York City from Tampa in 1980 and left an indelible mark on the city in the years that followed.“Within six months I knew I was at home in New York. The way I looked, the way I dressed, the way I thought — I knew I was understood,” she says. Designing menswear by day and wowing the party circuit by night, Brill applied the same passion she had for New York City into her encounters with others. Her genuine interest for people and their life stories made her universally liked. She became a nightlife fixture at hotspots like Danceteria and Area.“I got to know the right people. Every door was open to me. Andy introduced me to a lot of people. So did Jean-Michel,” she says. For the unfamiliar she’s talking about art legends Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Running with the “It” crowd, Brill was regularty featured in newspapers and magazines, deemed “The Queen of the Night” by Warhol, often alternating covers with Madonna, with whom she did not have a warm relationship.“Madonna was the most ambitious person I have ever met but since we were competitive I never felt comfortable around her,” Brill remembers. “She invited me to a lot of events but I always declined. Looking back I realize that I could have been nicer.”Brill may have been famous for her bubbly personality but she was certainly just as well known for herva-va-voom looks and outfits. She designed and wore latex clothes showing off her bodacious physique and made a splash during her nights on the town. Working with Andy Warhol on short films and videos, he reportedly made a note of Brill in his diary writing, “Dianne Brill with her big tits and hourglass figure.”Her infamous body translated into work. She became the muse and model for fashion icons Thierry Mugler and Jean-Paul Gaultier. In fact, a mannequin was created in honor of her buxom figure and is still used by Agent Provocateur today. Naturally she distilled her knowledge on beauty, fashion and attracting the opposite sex into a book, Boobs, Boys and High Heels. Before today’s social media tools Facebook and Twitter existed, Brill was the ultimate connector and self-promoter. She built relationships with people from all walks of regardless of whether they were uptown or downtown, rich or poor, creative or corporate.