796
PARTISAN REVIEW
of a sense of humor. He was certainly very opinionated on many
subjects. All these things I seldom saw because his anxiety took
over.
DS:
Since you mentioned Jackson's drunkenness as a source of enter–
tainment for the art crowd, let's talk about the Cedar Street Tav–
ern.
HF:
The Cedar bar was another side of the New York art world , a
center, a gathering place . Other than Tenth Street lofts and the
Club, there was the Cedar bar where you could get a terrible
hamburger and something to drink and sit in a booth and see who
was standing at the bar and what cliques were banded together in
what booths, and who was in town, and what youngsters were
next to what first generation painters . . . you got a general pot–
pourri and lineup of the then-market of the art world. And cer–
tain collectors would be brought down there by artists or dealers .
The bar had its own inner sanctum and hierarchy and regulars. I
used to go for fun. We would be out in the evening and often
check in to see what was going on at the Cedar bar .
It
was the
only place to "fall in ." I wasn't one of the ones who would stay late .
I was ...
DS:
Working.
HF:
Yes , working. But there was a whole gang that made it through
the night. And into the morning. And there was a lot of drinking.
And lots of love life exchanges there. Franz [Kline], Bill [de
Kooning] and the twins [Joan and Nancy Ward]. That became
an entertainment for everybody. That can be sort of boring. Gos–
sip .. . it's debilitati!'lg.
DS:
What about Pollock and the Cedar?
HF:
It's axiomatic that if he was in the Cedar he was probably drink–
ing. On the wagon, it wouldn't be easy. The bar rippled with ex–
citement when jackson was in town, and with guesses as to when
he would appear. There was an aura. Along with the detachment
and lack of support he felt , he was also a star. I'm sure he knew
both sides of the coin. Stars are often hated, envied, or resented
stars, yet very desirable, needed stars . When they fall, there's a
reverberation of unconscious or conscious delight. The star, the
king, the hero, the outsider, the brilliant shiner, the light-giver
has failed. I think someplace he felt that. I think he wanted the
camaraderie, but he knew it was impossible . I think he felt that he
could paint them all solid. That he was a better painter. That he
made a greater contribution. His pictures were more radiant and
