Welcome to Wet Paint in the Wild, the freewheeling—and free!—spinoff of Artnet News Pro’s beloved Wet Paint gossip column, where we give art-world insiders a disposable camera to chronicle their lives on the circuit. To read the latest Wet Paint column, click here (members only).
I have a distinct memory of helping a friend who was in a video art class in college recreate Marilyn Minter’s Green Pink Caviar with melted gummy worms on her lucite coffee table. While my art practice certainly didn’t take off, I am sure glad Minter’s did, as her surrealist photos and videos have been highly instrumental in the canon of photorealism and feminist art—and we’re all better off for it. The artist launched a new piece by way of an iPhone app for this year’s Planned Parenthood of Greater New York gala, so I handed the artist a camera to show me how it went. Behold: Marilyn!
After not going to a gala in three years, I went to two in one week. The first one was Spring Into Action Benefiting Planned Parenthood where I remembered to actually bring the camera! Here is my husband Bill Miller and me arriving at the gala.
Here is Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood, posing for my new AR filter that ADLAR developed. We’re trying to [get to] a million dollars for PP and hope this app will help. Everyone should do it—just purchase and download the ADLAR app for $2.99. All profits will be donated to PP! If you’re reading this, stop what you’re doing, download the app and share you using the filter to your social media right now before finishing this article!
Here are the instructions on how to download the ADLAR app and use my new PP filters. We spelled it out for you so there should be no excuse not to download it! Are you picking up what I’m putting down?
The star of Succession, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, with her mother Ann Dexter-Jones posing for the app.
And this is what the filter looks like. Here is a video of Annabelle and Ann using the filter screened in front of all the folks who attended the PP gala.
Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn and Abigail DeAtley (Vice President of Development at Planned Parenthood NYC) posing in front of the screened video of Jeanne using the filter.
My dear friend Laurie Simmons and me posing for the app—not sure what she’s doing with my arm?!
Tracey Ryans and Angela Goding posing for a photo to use on the ADLAR filter for PP. Seriously, if you’re still reading this and you haven’t yet downloaded the app and posted your video to whatever social media you use—I have to question everything about your priorities in life!! Give Planned Parenthood the money they need and deserve, and do something fun on social media in the meantime!
Julianna Glasse and Betsy Boyer. For the love of God, please purchase the ADLAR app and give PP some money! And post your video! I want this thing to go viral!
The goddess Annie Armstrong telling you to download the ADLAR app ASAP or she’ll come for you!
Me at the Planned Parenthood gala promoting my new PP filter with ADLAR. My allies in activism for years now, Rob Pruitt and Jonathan Horowitz made this timely installation so people could take selfies as they walked in.
Three of my activist friends—Padma Lakshmi, Sandra Bernhard, and Jasmine Wahi—posing for a pic at the Planned Parenthood Gala. Jasmine and I co-organized a show called “Abortion is Normal” back in 2020. She’s wearing the t-shirt they made for the exhibition—I should have worn mine!!
Bill and I looking fancy!
The second gala I went to was the Art Production Fund’s benefit where the theme was summer camp. There were so many celebrities!! It was probably the best gala I’ve ever been to in my life… too bad I forgot the camera, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. They did have a piercing booth though so I got a new ear piercing.
Finally some time to lounge with my boys! Bill, Finn, and Bowie.
We made this photo of “the boys” for my husband’s birthday from the photo taken above! Photoshop is a joy and a miracle!
I organized a surprise birthday party with some of Bill’s favorite people over the weekend and I was able to pull it off so that it was an actual surprise! I think I’m done doing surprise parties because this was the fifth time in 31 years that I’ve pulled one off for him, so he’s starting to expect them.
LOOK! ONE OF THE STUFFED ANIMALS CAME ALIVE! MAGIC! Bowie in his cuddle puddle—aka our beautiful Campana Brothers stool. My assistant Marianna is trying to convince me that 50 percent of these Wet Paint photos should be of my dogs.
Our beautiful creek upstate—it’s the place where I actually get to relax. All I do is read books and go to movies.
I loved Navalny but, in my opinion, Nan Goldin is the bravest artist I know and this should have won the Oscar.
My dear friend, Andrea Belag, standing in front her work at her brilliant show, “The Feminine in Abstract Painting,” curated with Jennifer Samet (whose photo didn’t come out so well) at Millton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation, up through July 15.
Here is another gifted artist in the show, Amy Sillman, with two of her biggest fans! The show is great—go see it!
Fabiola Alondra, the director of one of my favorite galleries in NY, Fortnight Institute, looking stunning as always in front of Peter Shear’s work.
A sneak peek of my other ally in activism, the great Cecily Brown, drawing on her lithograph at Two Palms.
At the revolutionary printmakers, Two Palms, signing my first silkscreen print edition, Hush. It’s a giant printmaking masterpiece (or so I’m told; I know almost nothing about printmaking—but I do love this print)! I also adore the folks at Two Palms, they’re a New York treasure.
This is me finishing a portrait of the iconic Gloria Steinem. I have one week until my paintings are picked up for my solo show at LGDR on April 12—so it’s getting down to the wire! I’m in the studio all day every day at this point.
WIP in my studio in Midtown of the incomparable, Gloria Steinem, which will be in my solo show at LGDR opening April 12. And my new Odalisque of the iconic Lizzo, which I just started and won’t be done for at least another year!
WIP of the best dancer I know in NY, Mickalene Thomas, who’s incidentally a fucking great artist too!
My new drinking fountain edition, Thirsty, modeled after the same drinking fountain I used all throughout childhood at Treasure Island Elementary School. Yes, all the drinking fountains in 1950s Florida had videos projected into the water basin, so this one is no different. Come see it in person at my show at LGDR April 12–June 2. Xx/mm
I couldn’t do anything without the help from these incredible people—Jee Kim, Charlotte Fox, Marianna Peragallo, Michelle Girardello, Johan Olander, Jay Elizondo, Kyu Lee, Noa Charuvi. Johan and I have been working together since 1992!