One

“Nothing can be truly replicated, not a love, not a jewel, not a single line.” ~ Patti Smith, M Train

Artistic Collaboration: Judy Linn & Patti Smith

EVERYONE I THINK LOVES A GOOD SNOW DAY (ASIDE FROM SHOVELING SNOW) AND I’M NO EXCEPTION. SUNDAYS AND SNOW DAYS ARE WHEN I GRAB THE ART BOOKS OFF THE SHELF AND CURL UP IN A CHAIR WITH AN AFGHAN TO SAVOR THEM. THE OTHER DAY, I WATCHED PATTI SMITH’S “DREAM OF LIFE” DOCUMENTARY AGAIN. I LOVE THE RAW FORMAT OF THE DOC AND HER SADNESS FROM THE LOSS OF HER GREAT LOVE FRED “SONIC” SMITH IS THE MELANCHOLY THRU-LINE SILENTLY SINGING IN THE BACKGROUND FROM START TO FINISH. I HAVE TO ADMIT, I DON’T LOVE ALL OF HER MUSIC BUT I DO BELIEVE PATTI SMITH IS A GREAT ARTIST, POET AND I FIND HER INFINITELY INSPIRING CREATIVELY. IN HER MEMOIR “JUST KIDS,” SHE MENTIONS THAT SHE TRIES TO DO SOMETHING CREATIVE EVERY DAY, EVEN IF IT’S JUST A PHOTOGRAPH. HER MEMOIR IS TERRIFIC IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY READ IT – IT’S DIFFERENT FROM MANY OF THE MUSICAL MEMOIRS CURRENTLY FLOODING THE MARKET – IT’S SOULFUL IN A WAY THE OTHERS ARE NOT.

ALL OF THIS LED ME TODAY TO GRAB OFF THE SHELF JUDY LINN’S TERRIFIC BOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHS “PATTI SMITH 1969-1976”. PATTI MET JUDY THROUGH ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE AND THEY STRUCK UP AN EASY FRIENDSHIP. JUDY WAS HONING HER SKILLS, TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS WITH HER LEICA AND PATTI LOVED TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED, SO PERFECT TIMING.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE A HISTORICAL MEMOIR OF SORTS, MEMORIES OF PATTI FINDING HER ARTISTIC TRUE NORTH AND JUDY’S GREAT START TO HER CAREER AS A PHOTOGRAPHER WITH NEW YORK CITY AT THE END OF THE SIXTIES/EARLY SEVENTIES AS THE BACKDROP. HERE ARE THREE OF LINN’S PHOTOGRAPHS – IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH THIS BOOK, YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED.

PHOTOGRAPHS ©1969-1976 JUDY LINN

Dream of Life

Patti Smith & Robert Mapplethorpe ©Norman Seeff 1969

In the sixties, a brave young woman left her home in New Jersey to seek out a new life in New York City. If Patti Smith had an idealistic notion of how her life would be in NY – her newly adopted city would quickly educate her that although it offered untold opportunities for riches and fame – it also expected you to fight for it, and suffer in order to achieve it.

Her bond with Robert Mapplethorpe was forged when he rescued her from an older man, who having just bought her a much-needed meal, now expected something in return. Both of them were young and hungry, figuratively and literally, for the kind of rich creative life that only NYC could afford. They clung to each other and encouraged each other’s artistic growth, inspiring themselves and being inspired by a series of interesting and eccentric artists who passed through the now historic, Chelsea Hotel and Max’s Kansas City at that time (Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Sam Shepard and Andy Warhol and his factory followers).

Photographs of Patti Smith & Robert Mapplethorpe ©Judy Linn

Although their relationship underwent a series of changes, from friendship to lovers and back again as Robert began to live out the changes in his sexual life and Patti began new relationships of her own – they made a pact of sorts, a commitment to be there for each other until they felt strong enough to be on their own and although they did eventually end up apart (Patti in Detroit with Fred Smith and Robert in NYC with Sam Wagstaff), their bond essentially remained unbroken to the end.

Patti Smith & Robert Mapplethorpe ©Norman Seeff 1969

Patti Smith’s new memoir, “Just Kids” is an extraordinary look into the creative life of two iconoclasts’ whose artistic journeys were forged against the backdrop of 1960’s-‘70’s New York.

Under the Moonlight

Darlin’ let’s go
Where the night goes
Time slips
Oh Darlin’ how it flies
When the night goes by

All through the night
Sirens call
Come to me
And I’ll come to you
As the night softly
Goes by bye

Midnight
Moon on our shoulder
Daybreak
Another one older
Darlin’ heavenly blue
Glories fade into view

Let’s go
Under the stars
That are beating
Under the moonlight
Stars shoot
Dusk just a whisper
Make this night
Last forever
Oh how I wonder
Where the night goes

From “As the Night Goes By” ~ Patti Smith ©1979

Photograph: Flickr/Gabriela Cameroti