Patti Smith

I had a friend there and my friend had moved and I

was looking for my friend, and I knocked on the door where he used to be, and someone said, well, I don't know where your friend is, but you can ask the guy in there, and I went in another room and saw this kid sleeping on this cot, and I just stood there and was watching him sleep, and he opened his eyes and smiled at me.

And that's how we met.

Now, was he already taking photographs when you met?

No, he didn't start taking photographs till late 69 when we were at the Chelsea Hotel.

He really only started taking photographs.

He was doing drawings, paintings, and collages and some constructions.

And then later he did installations.

But in his huge montages and collages, he...

used a lot of magazine pictures, holy cards, existing pictures, reproductions of Michelangelo, who he greatly admired, reproductions of statues and sculpture.

But he was never satisfied, and he really started taking photographs to insert within his other work.

He didn't set out to become a photographer.

He really just wanted to create his own information for his drawings and

montages.

Did you help each other with your work?

Always.

What ways were you able to help him and how did he help you?

Well, we helped each other in any way we could, whether it be financially or an encouraging word or constructive criticism and just mutual belief in each other's work.

When you

That's something really that no one can duplicate nor take away from you is when you have another human being that completely believes in your work.