On
February 3, 2009, at Armitage Gone! Dance's Think Punk! Gala,
the 80's downtown art scene came back to life. Artists, dancers,
gallerists, and other patrons of the arts all came out in celebration
of Karole Armitage. The event honored artist Jeff Koons and The Honorable
Earle I. Mack, chairman emeritus of the New York State Council on
the Arts with the first annual Gone! Award. The award honors individuals
whose dedication to the arts and to Armitage Gone! have been remarkable.
The award was a specially commissioned sculpture from artist Bryan
Hunt. The “punk chic” evening was held at Capitale and
hosted by performance artist Laurie Anderson.
The gala also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Karole Armitage's
first performance in New York. Attendees including Calvin Klein,
David Salle, Sandy Brandt, Jay McInerney, Mary Boone, Lou Reed, Francesco
Clemente, Andre Balazs were treated to a “Punk Cabaret” with
performances of Wild Thing with music by Jimi Hendrix, set by Jeff
Koons, and a sneak preview of Armitage's newest piece Mashup,
with an original score by Daniel Iglesia, which will have its World
Premiere at The Kitchen next month.
This year's Gone! Art Auction included works by Donald Baechler,
Ross Bleckner, Karen Kilimnik, Vera Lutter, Tom Sachs, David
Salle, Julian Schnabel, Laurie Simmons, Philip Taaffe, James Welling
and Robert Wilson among others. Sotheby's Jamie Niven
was the auctioneer.
The funds raised will be used to support Armitage Gone! Dance's
upcoming international season, which will kick off with a two-week
performance at New York's Kitchen from March 4-14, 2009. The
company will tour to California and the Midwest and perform later
this spring at the Teatro Bellini in Catania, Sicily and in June
at the prestigious Napoli Teatro Festival Italia in Naples.
