Note | 9 September | In 1994, filmmaker John Waters unwrapped an unusual Christmas gift

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John Waters Senior, C-R-A-Z-Y, 1991. Collection of John Waters.

In 1994, filmmaker John Waters unwrapped an unusual Christmas gift from his father: a drawing hastily made after discovering how much his son had spent on a Cy Twombly piece. Shocked by the price tag, the elder Waters responded with his own artwork, presented that holiday as a tongue-in-cheek reaction.

“When my father saw one of the Twombly pieces I had [Five Greek Poets and a Philosopher, 1978], he was just appalled—you know, “You bought this..?” I would never brag to anybody about how much things are worth—except to my father, because that was the only thing he understood. But he was even more stupefied when I told him. So for Christmas one year, he did this little drawing for me that just said, “C-R-A-Z-Y”.

An extract from an interview with Waters in 2022, courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar.

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