Punk Writer Glenn O’Brien Collects Richard Prince and Tom Sachs

Interesting people usually have interesting homes, so when the Coveteur took a gander at legendary writer Glenn O’Brien’s private space, we couldn’t have been more elated. The man has style and good art.

As one of the early members of Interview magazine, O’Brien got his writing chops when the nascent mag was being published out of Andy Warhol’s factory. After his stint at the magazine, O’Brien held positions at Rolling Stone, Oui (owned by Playboy) and High Times, all during the 1970s. Also hosting a New York public access show called TV Party, O’Brien hung out with music icons such as David Bowie and Debbie Harry.

Today, you’ll be able to find him writing GQ‘s column “The Style Guy,” a bible for sharp-dressed men everywhere, because, of course, he most certainly is. His apartment is filled with a serious bookcase any book hoarder would covet. Some hidden gems include a custom-painted Jean-Michel Basquiat leather jacket, a Chanel phone book by his friend and artist Tom Sachs (which has a bullet hole O’Brien put there himself, using a shot gun, also made by Sachs), and plenty of Belgian products including garments by Dries Van Noten, a favorite name among the fashion crowd.

But what art does O’Brien collect? Just the cream of the market crop, including Richard Prince, Christopher Wool, James Nares, Tom Sachs, Robert Hawkins, Jean-Phillippe Delhomme, Sarah Charlesworth, Ray Johnson, Brion Gysin, Philip Taaffe, Joseph Kosuth, and many more.


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