Rebecca “Kaye”

Seller of the Collection

I was a special and secret caretaking type of person who existed on the periphery of Carl Andre’s life from 1996 until c. 2007 in New York City. We often enjoyed champagne-infused hide-ins together at my Midtown flat, outings in Manhattan and even London, UK (sometimes visiting his work in major museums) and meeting for decadent meals at the Grand Central Station Oyster Bar (his favorite was when it was delicious Stone Crab season.).

The photo above is of me from around that time (I’m in my 50’s now but still fit and fabulous!). You see, I was also once a portrait model for the controversial art photographer Andres Serrano in 2002 (if you remember him from all that scandal over his “Piss Christ” piece!).

This photo I believe helps verify the environment of my life at the time and that I am who I say I am. My precious “Carl Collection” was just one of the interesting outcomes of the special connections I had with my patrons.

The photo you see above was ultimately used in Mr. Serrano’s coffee-table photo book titled, “America” (and it toured the USA as well!). I was right up there on the wall next to Snoop Dog’s portrait during the gallery show in LA. 🙂 There are only two large “C” prints of this in the world and I believe they have been collected and are now in the possession of collectors or in museum archives.

It’s an interesting aside but While had nothing to do with my relationship to Carl Andre but does speak to that era (I was asked randomly to model for Mr. Serrano by a friend). I think it gives me a slight bit of street cred as I attest to be the rightful owner of this intriguing collection of Carl Correspondence.

I’m selling these with Carl’s October 2018 blessing. I’d moved away from NYC long before and was residing in an exotic third world country, but returned for a visit after not seeing him for many years. I asked him (just after he’d received the French Legion of Honor medal, which he let me try on!) if it would be OK to one day share his/our correspondence, poetry, scribbles (and types from his typewriter) with the world: and he said Yes, absolutely. But he preferred that I would do it after he was gone…

…Which I honored, and here we are. 🙂

Do I know or suspect if Carl killed Ana Mendiata? And how do I feel about the accusation?

No, I don’t know. I have no idea! Having first met Carl in 1995, I knew Carl for many years before I even had knowledge of this accusation from 1985 (I lived in a bubble and I’d just never researched him, etc.). For the most part, I experienced our connection “in situ” rather than knowing him through the media, gossip or conjecture. I admit I was initially shocked by this revelation about Ana when a friend told me about the legal case around 1999–fully 3 years after meeting Carl and spending time with him!

All I can say is that Carl always treated me with kindness, gentleness, generosity and respect. BUT let me be clear: I was treated this way within a very proscribed and rather formalized relationship with clear boundaries and an almost ritualistic adherence to manners (always glasses of champagne first), rules and lines not blurred or crossed (a bit like his art). Our conversations were always carefully curated, did not often meander aimlessly, and under no circumstances was the messiness of personal or emotional life to be acknowledged or expressed (by either party). The hour(s) were set aside for cuddles, civilized conversation and (Carl’s ego). 🙂

That’s all I can say. I came to really like this rather structured aspect of our connection. I could understand how it may have been very freeing for a man leading such a big life in the art world to have intimate parts of his life (involving his physique and psyche) be composed of satisfying, predictable (and not overly sexual) rituals which shall remain for you to decipher through our correspondence.

No, years later, I think of Carl Andre with a reserved affection. I have to admit that I always puzzled over why he had stayed on in the same apartment (from where Ana’s death took place) when given his resources and options. He could have easily changed locations. He was a creature of habit, structure, work ethic and it seemed, a simple (yet luxe) lifestyle. I too wonder of what really happened that night Ana fell (or was pushed) from the window. But this is not something I know or suspect and certainly this event in his life was never, ever discussed.

I was in my late 20’s when I met my much-older patron Carl Andre in his as-is, where-is state, seeking out my company. And once I learned of the Ana case, I carried on my professional relationship with him without judgement or “investigating” him by observing his behaviors/engaging in probing conversations, etc. Deciphering his guilt/innocence was not my metier.

Being a courtesan, muse and comfort to an interesting, powerful, and complex man was my metier. He’d had his day in court, however wrong or right that legal outcome may have been in terms of Universal Truth (and the eyes of the public and the art world) and I am not here to explore or dispute it.

I am here to sell you a fabulous correspondence collection if this is something of interest to you!