Next Monday, there will be an inaugural ceremony for the Malcolm McLaren Award at the Performa 11, the visual art performance biennial in New York. The prize is in honour of Malcolm McLaren who died last year...
Next Monday, there will be an inaugural ceremony for The Malcolm McLaren Award at the Performa 11, the visual art performance biennial in New York. The prize is in honour of Malcolm McLaren who died last year and I have to say that I cannot think of anyone more deserving.
Malcolm is often referred to as the "Godfather of Punk" due to starting the Sex Pistols and so forth but he was much more than that. How about a cultural theorist, a showman, an entrepreneur, an agent provocateur, a don manqué as well as a major fashion connoisseur? Personally, I miss Malcolm’s infectious laugh and his originality of thought. Born Aquarius, he was typical for his sun sign: having that whacky sense of humour and big picture mentality. Whatever you did with Malcolm – whether discussing French politics or visiting a museum – became an adventure since you were exposed to his innovative, sponge-like mind.
We first met in Los Angeles. It was the mid-80s and Talcy Malcy – as he occasionally referred to himself – had a motion picture deal with CBS Studios. Alas, he was too much of an anarchist for Hollywood and none of his film projects such as Art Boy and Surfing Nazi Warlords got the green light. That said, he left an unforgettable impression. Just as being driven by Malcolm was terrifying – he must have bribed someone to pass his Californian driving test – there were many outrageous incidents such as his jumping on a female executive in The Ivy restaurant and being mischievous incarnate with Darryl Hannah; then a huge star. I do hope that the Malcolm Award will lead to further interest in his Christian Dior musical and a new biography that will be as wild and amusing as Talcy Malcy truly was.
Robert Beck is former New Yorker currently based in Paris. Also known as C.J. Rabbitt, he is the author and illustrator of several children's books, including The Tale of Rabbitt in Paradis, Un Lapin à Paris and the soon-to-be-published A Bunny in the Ballet.
Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni is a paris-based British journalist who covers fashion and lifestyle as well as being the author of Sam Spiegel - The Biography of A Hollywood Legend, Understanding Chic, an essay from the Paris Was Ours anthology and soon-to-be released Chanel book, for Assouline's fashion series.
