Jack Goldstein and the CalArts Mafia

Jack Goldstein and the CalArts Mafia by Richard Hertz. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780964016545.

Jack Goldstein and the CalArts Mafia is anchored by Jacks reflections, dramatized by Hertz into first person narratives, of the early days of CalArts and the last days of Chouinard; the New York artworld; the trials and tribulations of finding and maintaining success; his inter-personal relationships; and his disappearance from the art scene. They are complemented by the dramatized first person narratives of Jacks friends, including John Baldessari, Troy Brauntuch, Rosetta Brooks, Jean Fisher, Robert Longo, Matt Mullican, and James Welling. There are provocative portraits of many well known personalities of the 80s, including Mary Boone, David Salle, and Helene Winer, all working at a time when the competitive spirit was strong and often brutal, caring little about anything but oneself and making lots of money. Has anything changed?