Rest in Peace, Isabelle (Ultra Violet)
Upon our very first meeting outside her studio in 2006 Ultra Violet greeted me with a big smile and thrust a bunch of purple/violet tulips towards me. In her unintentional abrupt manner "Hello! these are for you!" I worked with her over five years in New York returning two or three times a year. We created art in her studio, discussed concepts for new work, talked about personal things, and laughed a lot. We also worked a lot from her apartment and she would cook me an organic, healthy lunch every day. She even once held a dinner party for my birthday at her home, we watched, from her roof terrace, as the sun set across Central Park; an image that will stay with me.
When she found out she had mouth cancer I took her to the hospital and held her hand in the waiting room (first time I saw her vulnerable side). We bickered a lot - like two old friends or mother and daughter. I think she liked that I stood up to her. We drifted when an unscrupulous "agent" manipulated us both. Thankfully we did reconnect and I'm so very glad we built those bridges. A terribly sad day, the day I found out she had passed away. She had invited me to stay with her in France at her Nice studio and I would very much have liked to have had one final visit with her. But I'm grateful to have wonderful memories of a genuinely badass, funny, intelligent woman who was bossy, kind and supportive to me. My friend, mentor and teacher, Isabelle. Xxx
My deepest sympathy to her other friends and family. She will be greatly missed.
