John Upjohn

I had my second solo exhibit of my figurative work at the Palm Beach Gallery in Florida in the winter of 1968. While I no longer was a figurative sculptor, that period of my life was still very much in demand, and the Gallery wanted to show it. Later on in 1971 – 1973 – 1975 I had solo exhibits of non-representational work. 1975 was the last time I showed at the Palm Beach Gallery for George Vigoroux was arrested on drug and homosexuality charges during my exhibition there.

As I remember, it was at Christmas time, and I was feeling very blessed, swimming with my son Carlo and my husband Roberto, during the wonderful warm sunny days, while in Italy it was freezing cold.

In the late evening, two days before the opening of the exhibit, I was installing sculptures; my son, who was home on vacation from the University, was helping me. While mounting a fountain at the center of the Gallery, I was up on the ladder and did not realize that a curious crowd had stopped outside in the street to watch. They were people coming out from the nearby evening theater.

Suddenly, the door was flung open and a man walked in. He looked like someone off a boat, shaggy clothes, a waterproof hat and a heavy smell of alcohol. I whispered to Carlo in Italian to give this person a catalogue and help him out of the Gallery, locking the door after him. The man had no intention of leaving, however; he took much time looking at every sculpture. Finally, he signed the guest book by the door and left.

We finished working after midnight, exhausted we went home. In the morning around 10 am, Jimmy Barker, an employee of the Gallery, called me on the phone to tell me that I should take with a grain of salt the following: « A man had called and reserved four major sculptures. He was going to send a check, the man said, adding that he was John Upjohn from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and had signed the book on his way out ». Jimmy had checked the book and it was so.

The exhibit sold out before its opening that day at 6.00 pm, a repeat of my New York exhibit adventure. The word spread around, every dealer in town came to see what this exhibit was all about in order for it to be so successful. Estée Lauder, Alva Gimbel, and several other people gave parties for me. Life in Palm Beach spins around parties, each one better than the last.

A few days later, a check arrived in full payment. Three very worried architects came to the Palm Beach Gallery to see what Upjohn had purchased. They were very concerned, for Upjohn was going to install one of the sculptures in the lobby of the building they had designed. They left relieved, after seeing the work. Indeed, it was going to be a meaningful addition to their space.

Mr Upjohn wrote wonderful letters about my work and followed every one of my exhibitions, even if he could not attend.