Dennis Hopper “Lives” on a T-Shirt

For a second there, that eerie “Hopper Lives” mural on East 12th Street made you go all “aw… tribute,” didn’t it? Then you saw the Vans logo next to the beloved dead guy’s face and went all “eeegh… postmortem merchandising.” Actor/director/photographer/artist Dennis Hopper was in the “very early” stages of this “collaboration” before he died, but his kids and Trust helped Vans to deck out a full, ten-piece collection — a few shirts featuring his work and some button ups, kicks and a driver cap for that “hip old man” look. Read more »

Precious Dennis Hopper Polaroid Stolen From LA Gallery

A rare 8-by-10 Polaroid of Dennis Hopper taken by his actor friend Jason Lee was stolen from THIS Gallery in Los Angeles. Lee is offering a $25,000 reward and a heartfelt plea to the thief on the gallery’s website. It is a hugely sentimental single-print photograph and there is no negative; it’s “the one single physical document of the photographer’s time with his subject.” As the show was closing up, someone “stole a piece off the wall and bolted out the front door.” Aside from hurting the non-profit gallery’s business and reputation, the stolen Polaroid is oozing with bad karma. Read more »

Shot Up Warhol Sells Big

Normally when artwork is damaged, you’d assume the price would be discounted, but not if it’s a bullet-hole caused by the late great Dennis Hopper’s gun. The Warhol print of Mao Zedong sold at auction for $302,500. Its pre-sale estimate was between $20,000 and $30,000. As the story goes, he stumbled into his own one night on what must have been a binge of some pretty good drugs and thought the image of the Chinese leader was staring at him, so he shot it.

Dennis Hopper’s Photography Exhibit on Shortlist at MoCA

There’s talk of a Dennis Hopper survey being on the short list for shows at Jeffrey Deitch-headed MoCA. The actor was a prolific photographer, especially in the ’60s, and previously exhibited at the Shafrazi gallery.

Hopefully, the vile thief hag hasn’t completely pillaged Dennis Hopper’s art collection by now. He always hoped that his collection, which includes (included?) Warhol’s soup can that he bought for $75 and Schnabel’s portrait of Hopper, would end up in a museum. Could be a good complimentary exhibit, if the photography survey is a go. See Hopper’s  pre-cancer, pre-torture-by-wife art walk through here.

Image: “Bruce Conner (in tub)” by Dennis Hopper.

Dennis Hopper’s Wife: Contemporary Art Thief

With reportedly weeks to live, Dennis Hopper just won’t catch a break from the constant misfortune factory that is his marriage. A nasty divorce from that troll has worsened the cancer-stricken actor’s deteriorating health and depleted him financially and mentally. And now, she’s stolen his last valuable assets: paintings. Read more »

Presenting, A Dennis Hopper Windup Toy Thing

This windup tin toy with polymer clay head of Dennis Hopper is sold-out at Etsy, so too bad if you wanted your own Hopper-around with woolen hair to pet. Maybe artist John Larriva will make more of these. Maybe there’ll be accessories like a wee motorcycle or a teeny oxygen mask. Maybe this deathbed tribute can get even creepier/better, but probably not. See the bizarro head hop here.