Dennis Hopper Portrait

Photo (c)Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, all rights reserved.

On February 22nd, 1995, Dennis Hopper sat for this portrait. Artist/filmmaker David Salle brought him by the studio. Hopper had just starred in Salle's film, "Search and Destroy." What I remember most about the afternoon was Dennis' extraordinary love for art. As we toured my studio and home, he pointed at each work of art and named the artist, even the most obscure ones. That's a Resnick, that's Taaffe, that's Rick Prol, that's a Joop Sanders, that's Martin Wong, that's Judy Glantzman, that's The Starn Twins, that's Richard Hambleton.

Two years ago, I saw Dennis at Cinevegas, the Las Vegas film festival into which Robin and Danny Greenspun had put so much love and energy. One evening, just before a Steve and Elaine Wynn dinner honoring Takashi Murikami, Dennis and I were invited by Wynn to see some of his art collection. As we strolled past a lovely Turner and then the Picasso that Steve's elbow had made so famous, we came upon an especially difficult Marisol. Dennis turned to Steve and said, "that's a really great Marisol." Wynn stopped in his tracks and replied with awe, "You're the first person who's ever known the sculptor's name."

RIP Dennis Hopper.

 

 

 

Comments

[hisdroogness]

02:28 PM on 06/02/2010

I really don’t know what to say I am truly sad with the loss of Dennis Hopper. Dennis is (I say is because he will always be with us) a true artist didn’t matter what role he played. Dennis breathed life into everything and made you feel the character even if you didn’t like the film. I never met him but Dennis made you feel like you knew him and you did your whole life. It is with a sad heart I bid farewell to the man who was Dennis Hopper but embrace the spirit that endures forever.

[MsRothschild]

08:49 PM on 06/01/2010

Thank you Timothy Greenfield Sanders, it looks like your the only one who touched his soft side of his love of art or life; in the way I think he wanted to be remembered. I never met him. I never met him in person, nor Peter Fonda or Jack, onlu on the telephone, but I did meet Henry Fonda and Polansky the same kind of guys. They were a pack of wolves...under a crescent moon.

[defdes]

06:43 PM on 06/01/2010

I went to his house a couple of times, the art collection was staggering. The walls were covered, art pretty much floor to ceiling (20' ceilings) and what wasn't being shown, was in these poster rack style displays that you could "page" through...really incredible, Ruscha to Basquiat.

[Someone Said]

05:37 PM on 06/01/2010

I was so envious of my parents when years ago they visited Dennis Hopper's home to see his art collection. As an avid contemporary art collector herself, my Mom said it was fascinating. I've always looked at Hopper far beyond the "Easy Rider" persona and into the depth of him as the artistic human being that he was. A pretty interesting guy in my book.

[justoverit333]

04:04 PM on 06/01/2010

Great pic!

[RuthieBabe]

04:01 PM on 06/01/2010

I have always admired Dennis Hopper. He wasn't a great actor and many of his films were B-grade but I liked the fact the he really seemed to love what he was doing. He looked like he was having fun and it didn't matter if the movie became a classic or not. It allowed him to do the other things that he also liked--such as collect art and make his photos. He freely admitted that he had trouble with alcohol and drugs in his younger days but he was quite proud of the fact that he finally pulled his life together and was clean for over 20 years.

[lonesometx]

03:28 PM on 06/01/2010

What are they gonna say about him? What are they gonna say? That he was a kind man? That he was a wise man? That he had plans, man? That he had wisdom? Bullshit, man!

[NIck The Click]

04:26 PM on 06/01/2010

Yo Lonesometx, how about a little photo credit for Roger Ballen?

[lonesometx]

09:28 PM on 06/01/2010

Oh wow! What? Who's that man? What the hell was that, man?

[Aitch5]

02:43 PM on 06/01/2010

An interview with Dennis was on Fresh Air NPR today. Should be available on the website by tonight. I only heard a part of it on the radio this a.m. He was talking about Abstract Expressionism and the emergence of Pop. From what I have read previously about Mr. Hopper's involvement with art and painting, I realized he was a visionary collector and art "watcher" able to process the emerging Pop scene as it was happening, just as Castelli and Di Antonio and Blum did.
It is another little- publicized fact about Dennis Hopper!

[ptrgamb]

01:54 PM on 06/01/2010

I had a chance to interview Hopper about his photography once. Not only was he everything Timothy says he was, but he actually took an interest in me, a young and not at all important reporter, and showed genuine curiosity about another person. He was kind and courteous, and probably the least shallow and self-involved celebrity I ever interviewed.

[wayoutleft]

01:29 PM on 06/01/2010

what I remember is hopper shilling for a big mutual fund the summer before the crash. He was explaining how it was time for Boomers' big dreams. Probably 20 times as many ppl saw that as saw his films. Ironically he's bemoaning his drug excesses as he leads ppl's life savings off the cliff. I just know he gave no thought to the soundness of those funds before leading ppl into them. I understand that using artistic reputation to sell products is acceptable now. But hopper needs to make amends for thoughtlessly leading ppl into that kind of of exposure.

[assbite]

03:36 PM on 06/01/2010

A little late for making amends. I thought the Ameriprise ads were strange because Hopper wasn't a baby boomer (having been born in the 1930s) and who would take financial advice from a drug addict (reformed or otherwise) anyway?

[BlueLiberal]

01:04 PM on 06/01/2010

Dennis Hopper the actor was beyond incredable. Having loved him when he did little pieces on TV to his breakout part in "Easy Rider." I am sad to see him go. I knew of his interest in art but thanks for the list. I am an artist and I love all kinds of other peoples work. I would have loved to have met him artistic temperment be damned. He seemed to be such and interesting man what little was known was know about his private life.

[David Durham]

12:44 PM on 06/01/2010

Dennis Hopper pushed the envelope. He loved those who did the same. The success of Easy Rider was not an example of a work of art that was simply 'of its time', that was slapdash, but well timed and therefore touched a nerve in young people. The film is well made. It is well acted and scripted. It is shot well and doesn't have that cheesy lighting often associated with low-budget cult films. In short, as a film, Easy Rider rises to the level of art all on its own. It's message is timeless, to hate what one does not understand is folly, and is as important today as it was then. I toast a real rebel, a rebel with a cause.

[mabil]

12:31 PM on 06/01/2010

That's a beautiful photo. Simply stunning.

[itzy8940]

11:47 AM on 06/01/2010

Wow. What an amazing photo. I was such of a fan of this guy. You captured him well, sir.

[RJ Eskow]

11:38 AM on 06/01/2010

If you haven't seen the photos Hopper took with a Brownie back in the early sixties, you should. Without anything to work with in terms of lenses, he made some striking images. He had a great eye.

[Aitch5]

02:44 PM on 06/01/2010

Aren't they published in a book?

[NIck The Click]

04:28 PM on 06/01/2010

RJ will you pass on this info to the folks at Huff Po please:
option + G will give you this ©