One of today’s most respected art dealers, Michael Findlay launched his career surrounded by the most exciting figures of the twentieth-century art scene. In this, his first memoir, Findlay traces his journey from his childhood in Scotland to his arrival in New York City in 1964, where he directed one of the first art galleries in SoHo, exposing American audiences to the likes of Joseph Beuys and Sean Scully.
Findlay launched the first solo exhibitions of John Baldessari, Hannah Wilke, Stephen Mueller and Billy Sullivan. He offers fascinating recollections about his relationships with painters and sculptors, art dealers and art collectors, actors, models, and the creative talents at the heart of New York’s Downtown scene.
Making appearances in Findlay’s stellar cast of characters are Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Bridget Riley, James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg, Ray Johnson, Gerald Laing, Joseph Cornell, Allen Ginsberg, Gerard Malanga, and model Naomi Sims. He vividly depicts the comings and goings at The Chelsea Hotel, St. Mark’s Place, Studio 54, and Max’s Kansas City and describes in candid detail the wild parties and the freewheeling lifestyle of that swinging era.
Findlay’s evocatively recounted journey offers a new perspective on twentieth-century cultural history and a gripping tale for anyone interested in the post–World War II art market, and sixties and seventies New York.