Let’s just say, my mornings are shot (when do you think I write this stuff? 3AM? Well, that’s exactly what time it is now…) I was back at Benetton from 12-3PM in my mini-studio area making a collage or two and perplexing shoppers. Then it was time for the Art Basel vernissage at the convention center. The earlier you go in the day, the more important you are. My pal Michael Pollack went in at 11AM with some MAJOR collectors, who were bummed to find out the small Henry Moore sculpture ($900,000) was already sold. Drat. Carlos and I went in with the unwashed masses from 6-9. If you are an art fair newbie, let’s say this is the cream of the crop. More blue-chip art than you can see in 10 museum shows and 100 gallery visits. 250+ galleries with 10 or more works… you do the math. There’s no shortage of the usual suspects like Warhol, Koons and Basquiat but the real gems to me were a tiny Lucien Freud (8 x 14″) and another small Matisse about the same size. To much to see in one visit, for sure. We’ll see if I make it back. Some of my faves are here, all women or heads –don’t read anything into that, please. We stayed until the end and grabbed a bite at a new sushi place across from the Setai, which was just adequate. We checked out the Bass Museum’s sculpture garden with works installed for Art Basel, the highlight of which is the fountain, “Appearing Rooms” by Jeppe Hein, that you can go into – a cross between the rain room and the dancing waters at The Bellagio in Vegas, but better. Then it was time for Interview and Oh! Wow!’s party on the roof of the new Boulan where we met up with Michael and his boyfriend Zach. Great new rooftop and a nice crowd – good tequila flowed. And then an after-party at The Shore Club in The Red Room for a last spin. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? (top, Robert Indiana, the mob, Basquiat, Warhol, a tiny Lucien Freud, Picasso, a gem of a Matisee and a mysterious Dorthea Tanning. Pool at Boulan and The Red Room)