I’ve been building a house in Merida on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula for two years now and it’s finally done –almost.
Casa Cisterna (named for the cistern water tower) is nearing completion and inside the house is my art studio and a small gallery that I christened last Saturday with my exhibit Trey Speegle: 80s Polaroids first shown at my equally small Gallery 52 in upstate New York.
Last week was my birthday too, so I just combined everything, exhibit, birthday party, plus house opening and invited friends old and new to come by last Saturday. Construction swung into full gear and Friday & Saturday there were 6 different crews and 25 workers flying around inside and outside.
I had to stop the construction to prepare for the party and as the lights went down, there was some dramatic outdoor lighting just installed, that I saw for the first time. It was kind of exciting on all fronts.
The guest list included full and part time Merida residents, many from the arts from the East and West Coasts. Such a nice group and a fun casual vibe. (I think you can tell by the pictures taken by local photographer Nestor Herrera (@by.nestor) –who also shot my return party at Casita Galore last November– that everyone was relaxed and having fun. Tequila!)
A little background on the exhibit.
In the early to mid 80s (yeah, THAT long ago) I worked as a designer in the art departments of Vogue and Vanity Fair. We had what was known as “The Polaroid Closet” to use for various purposes of documenting things for the magazine (no processing necessary –pre-digital kids!). Fashion had their own Polaroid stash, but from time to time I helped myself to some of our (or theirs) and hit the town ready to shoot portraits mostly.
I lead a double life then, at the time Uptown and Downtown hadn’t merged yet, and when I first moved to town, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper were hometown gals hitting it big, friends worked and hung out with Andy Warhol and my friends were artists and photographers like Keith Haring and Tseng Kwong Chi, performers like Ann Magnuson and John Sex and drag queens like Ethyl Eichelberger and John Kelly.
I shot Fran Lebowitz, John Waters, Cookie Mueller, Taylor Meade, Quentin Crisp at my Straight to Hell magazine parties at the Pyramid, plus lots of drag in the Pyramid dressing room, Keith Haring‘s first party of life at Paradise Garage and lots of friends and other famous faces mostly out at clubs like Danceteria and Area.
It took me a few decades, but I finally scanned a hundred or so, cleaned them up and made limited edition collages as well as a limited edition spiral bound book.
A few friends that attended the opening last Saturday at Galeria 40 were around in NYC in the 80s, others were elsewhere or not born yet.
It’s a fun show to look at, which ever group you fall into, if I do say so myself.
BOTTOM ROW; Fran & Trey Speegle, Taylor Meade in Jackie’s wig, STH tee • All taken at the Pyramid in the mid-80s
ALL TAKEN AT THE PYRAMID COCKTAIL LOUNGE IN THE EARLY 80S
(Party photos, Nestor Herrera)
A limited edition book ($25) and framed collages can be purchased at TreySpeegle.com and range from $250 for 12 x 12″ images, to $650 for the 24 x 24″ Andy X4 + shipping, in case you’re interested. They ship from the framer, not Mexico. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.
The cover of New York this week, “It Girl” Brill in the news… timing!
