Face It Debbie Harry

In collaboration with SYLVIE SIMMONS and based on a series of recent exclusive interviews

Creative direction by ROB ROTH 62 DEBBIE HARRY HOUSE LIGHTSHOUSE 1 64 DEBBIE HARRY Face It Face book, my of title the to meaning added an giving is collection art fan the Now it. did Ijust that except doing Iwas what doing Iwas why wondered even I Sometimes safe. and intact artifacts these keep to way useful most the been has years later in which case, wardrobe or aroad with travel didn’t I years many For laugh. alittle for good always are parties—which surprise of aseries like places, unexpected up in turn things so can, catch-as-catch- much pretty at times were preservation of methods My whatever. and files and boxes rediscovered Igothrough as emerge it of will more that I’m hoping and MIA is artwork the of some I know amazed. more I’m even present, the to almost Blondie of years the through progressing childhood, my with starting memoir a written I’ve away. that Now blocks two only were Twin Towers, which the of destruction the by followed River, the Hudson of flood amajor survive to managed they where in Tribeca down studio basement Chris’s in stored were files my while, For a time. that all for collection art fan my hold on to to managed I’ve that amazed am and years the over times eleven or ten about moved I’ve still intact. but edges, at the abit frayed me, like just surviving and weather bad and delays flight suffering world, the around on tours me with traveled have one remains) only (of which T-shirts hand-drawn and dolls, mosaics, paintings, drawings, insightful and The sweet them. like Ijust because all them Ikept Mostly, them. abandon just but Icouldn’t everything, save to reason astrong have Ididn’t Blondie. in being or Blondie being while years, the all over accumulated I’ve paintings and drawings the organize and reproduce to best on how city. working Wethe been had to commutes constant my of tiring day—I’d been that me than him Rather truck. pickup white his NYCin to back off he drove collection, FAN OF ART MY SCANS THE ALL ME SENT HAD ROTH ROB AFTER .(cont.) 2 FACE IT 65 3 66 DEBBIE HARRY 4 FACE IT 67 5 68 DEBBIE HARRY 6 FACE IT 69 7 70 DEBBIE HARRY 8 FACE IT 71 9 72 DEBBIE HARRY 10 FACE IT 73 11 74 DEBBIE HARRY 12 FACE IT 75 13 132 DEBBIE HARRY CURTAIN UP 14 134 DEBBIE HARRY proof is here in my book. For me it’s a way of saying thank you .(cont.) you thank For it’s me saying of book. my away in here is proof the and interaction, reaction, it’s achain us.” again for So it happen make that “It’s fans the says, always met ever I’ve artist actor, musician, Every did. they if I’d glad be likely Very know. never I’ll likely Most art. of schools other or portraiture in interests their with future the on into carried artists Art Fan my of any if knows Who art. studying and painting and drawing to life her dedicated then girl, ayoung was she when drawing started Hilma Art. of Museum Swedish the from on loan collection Klint af Hilma the see to come Necessary Evil album solo on my worked who Nieland, Charlie mine, of friend aproducer up with Imet night other the Guggenheim the At IT! ILOVE book. interactive an posted; be can this like works art fan where awebsite starting of idea the up with come he’s and also work, his all like exceptional, are concept art fan the of overview and Rob’s additions on it me. for icing the that’s and scribbler experienced less ayounger, of hand the from drawings or illustrator accomplished an from whether present are artist the of say. The feelings they as beholder the of eye the in Something own. their noticeably something have works the Liebowitz—yet Annie and Goldsmith, Lynn Aris, Brian Mapplethorpe, Robert Rock, Mick Stein, Chris like me, of shots photographers’ famous from directly taken are images these of Many it. by touched Iam years, the through characters my face, my me, of interpretations these at all look as I Still, notion. romantic of a kind is artwork on any music of influence the And to. listen they music my but it’s ego, not always outsized an of bragging the like sound may This work. their do Iknow artists a lot the of how is he worked—which while away blasting was music the fail Without he sketched. while music to listen always to used looks, famous my of many designed who Sprouse, Steven My old friend songs. our singing me to listening were they printing, and drawing were they while that think to Ilike me. give to wanted simply they that fans by created works are Some OF ME. PORTRAITS ARE BOOK THIS IN OF FAN PIECES ART THE ALL NOT 15 . We had

FACE IT 135 16 136 DEBBIE HARRY 17 FACE IT 137 18 138 DEBBIE HARRY 19 FACE IT 139 20 140 DEBBIE HARRY 21 FACE IT 141 22 142 DEBBIE HARRY 23 FACE IT 143 24 144 DEBBIE HARRY 25 FACE IT 145 26 228 DEBBIE HARRY PEEKABOO 27 230 DEBBIE HARRY are there .(cont.) there are know don’t even they that face my reproduce to attempts their into drawn artist the of bits little see Ican collection art at fan my Ilook But when realized. never perhaps they ways but in me to known be to Wanting me. to themselves of apiece give to be to one has curious or loving, brave, how also and aportrait make and down sit to it is hard how Iknow because Partially away. them throw couldn’t But Ijust on them. drawn me of interpretations odd-looking often their with paper of pieces fragile these saving Iwas why wondered I while a for tributes sweet these collecting After flattered. I was drawings, and paintings their me giving started fans when anything, Before art. fan my with phenomenon same the noticed have I else. someone drawing Iwas when face own my to reference subtle some was paintings and drawings my in Inoticed What included. portraiture of study the with school in Iwas when courses drawing and art afew I had person. apretty being Ilike admit to Ihave and asset ahuge been has with born Iwas face the Luckily, taste. for no accounting is really there and appreciation of regardless Ido what doing Ilike mind, Never image. my beyond anything accomplished ever I’ve if wonder me made sometimes It’s I look. how about been has me about written been has what of much So reflections. precious those of sight lose quite never we so rooms, dining the and rooms living the and bathrooms the and bedrooms the and halls the along mirrors hang we now .And apool in image own his of beauty the by frozen man, selfie original the Narcissus, remember Or . water of body in a themselves of glimpse a caught first creatures primeval when fascination the then and startle the Imagine reflection. own your view you as you in achange inducing inevitably at you, back gazing images those and mirrors the come then .And consciousness self- even perhaps and consciousness to road on the step another face, own of one’s recognition earliest the probably is game little infantile This crazy. like laugh then peekaboo, to squeal and them open quickly then hands, YOU YOUR BEHIND RIGHT? HIDE PLAY PEEKABOO, TO LOVE BABIES 28 29 232 DEBBIE HARRY 30 FACE IT 233 31 234 DEBBIE HARRY 32 FACE IT 235 33 236 DEBBIE HARRY 34 FACE IT 237 35 238 DEBBIE HARRY 36 FACE IT 239 37 240 DEBBIE HARRY 38 FACE IT 241 39 310 DEBBIE HARRY EVIDENCE OF LOVEEVIDENCE 40 AS I WAS LOOKING THROUGH EVERYTHING I CAME ACROSS A CUTOUT of a bee, signed by Jane. I think this must have been given to me recently because of the Pollinator connection which helps save honey bees. But if it wasn’t recent, it is so synchronistic, so totally appropriate, I was overjoyed by how perfect it is, I put it on a new T-shirt, orb-shirt, called BEE CONSCIOUS.

So here are some, lovingly saved since the 1970s, a gallery of drawings and paintings done for me, likenesses of me by my fans. You must know by now how precious you are to me and totally amazed by what you’ve given me I am, because the act of making art is the important part. The art itself is just souvenirs . . . and beauty in the eye of the beholder.

So for better or for worse, I have saved face. My collection of Fan Art is not only portraiture. The works include other things, other subject matter and figures, i.e., dolls and different ephemera with my likeness on them. It touched me, touches me still that another person would go to the trouble and time to create a piece of art and then give it to me. Many of these things aren’t even signed except for the evidence of love.

41 42 314 DEBBIE HARRY 43 FACE IT 315 44 316 DEBBIE HARRY 45 FACE IT 317 46 318 DEBBIE HARRY 47 FACE IT 319 48 320 DEBBIE HARRY 49 FACE IT 321 50 This is a work of nonfiction. The events and experiences detailed herein are all true and have been faithfully rendered as remembered by the author, to the best of her abilities. Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

face it. Copyright © 2019 by Deborah Harry. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.

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first edition

c r e at i v e d i r e c t i o n b y r o b r o t h d e s i g n b y r e n ata d e o l i v e i r a

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

ISBN 978-0-06-074958-3

19 20 21 22 23 lsc 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1