“A home should be heavenly — and since I live on the roof, it’s already halfway to heaven!” says Ultra Violet of her tower apartment, atop a 15-story Art Deco co-op in Carnegie Hill. With unobstructed, panoramic views of the Central Park reservoir to the west, the Empire State and Chrysler buildings to the south, and northern vistas as well, the duplex and its enormous wraparound terrace put her (almost literally) on cloud nine.
“I get to see the sun rise in the reflection of the buildings and the golden light of the sunset,” she says. “During the summer, when I entertain on the terrace, you can see the sun set and the moon rise. It’s just magical.”
An ethereal presence herself, Ultra Violet (nee Isabelle Collin-Dufresne) is swathed from head to toe in her namesake color, right down to a purple wig and matching lipstick. And while best known as a fixture in Andy Warhol’s Factory during its 1960s heyday (when she adopted her colorful name), today, at 74, she has established an identity apart from the iconic artist.
She’s been a singer, an actress (with roles in “Midnight Cowboy” and James Ivory’s “Savages”) and an author. Her 1988 book, “Famous for 15 Minutes,” published in 17 languages, spawned an opera and a play that are now in development.
But she’s most active today as an artist, with a Chelsea studio where she creates such diverse works as “Michelangelo,” a mixed-media series featuring winged Mickey Mouses and light sculptures of clouds and rainbows (“the 21st-century palette is light,” she says). Her work has been displayed all over the world, most recently at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
“I try to make it to my studio regularly, but I am so busy working on many things,” she says. “Also, I like to spend most of my time in my home.”
After visiting Ultra Violet’s apartment, it’s clear why the French-born artist finds it hard to leave. The one-bedroom (plus a den/guest room) features double-height ceilings on the first level, a grand fireplace in the living area and windows in every room — all with jaw-dropping views.
It’s decorated in what she calls a “gypsy baroque” style; most of the furniture and decorative pieces are found objects, repurposed items or things picked up at church sales.
“I don’t think you need a lot of cash to make something aesthetically pleasing,” she explains. Ultra Violet shows off a favorite piece, a candelabra above the kitchen table, which she bought at a church fair. “I put lighted candles in it for dinner parties; it looks so elegant.”
Mirrors hanging all around make the co-op appear even larger and brighter. Ultra Violet points out one that she brought back from France (“It has a lot of meaning for me”) and another above the fireplace, on the sides of which dangle two sparkly handles (“They are actually my old earrings; I used to wear huge earrings”).
Not surprisingly, artwork takes up just about every inch of remaining wall space. Some pieces depict Ultra Violet, usually in various states of undress. Some is by Ultra Violet, like a framed charred corset from 1968, her nod to the bra-burning movement (“I was smart enough to keep mine and frame it”).
And several pieces were gifted to her by artists who were also her lovers. Like the Ed Ruscha in the hallway (“Oro Puro,” painted in his blood) and the pencil portrait of her by John Graham. (Sadly, there are no works by Salvador Dali, whom she dated in the 1950s.)
And of course, there are Warhols. The largest, from his “Flowers” series, takes up nearly an entire living-room wall; she bought it back in 1963 for just $500, according to a profile in Le Monde.
That prescience also applies to her real estate purchases. Ultra Violet moved into the prewar building when it was still a rental, in the ’60s. When it went co-op in the early ’70s, she bought several apartments — “They cost next to nothing back then; New York was broke!” — including the tower unit she lives in now. She sold the others and kept this one. She says she paid less than $30,000 for the residence in 1972. It recently appraised at about $10 million.
“It was the best investment ever,” she says. “I have been very lucky with real estate — not so much with love.”
Nonetheless, the still-single Ultra Violet has an active social life. She loves to cook and host dinner parties. Last week, she was getting ready for a Whitney Museum gala and was debating whether to accept an invitation from Anthony Haden-Guest. She’s also planning a summer visit to Nice, France, where she keeps a home and a studio.
This week, she’s readying her New York studio for an open house on March 6, in conjunction with the Armory Arts Week. It will be among those at the West Chelsea Arts Building (526 W. 26th St.) that will open to the public for tours this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Or check out her work at ultravioletweb.com.)
So, what’s it like to be Ultra Violet?
“My name works for and against me. But I can’t only live in my past,” she says.
“I’m more interested in tomorrow and the future. I think I’m really going to make it in 2010.”
Ultra Violet’s favorite things
* Two pieces from France, a 17th-century chair and a mirror
* The candelabra in the kitchen
* Her book of scriptures
* A corset she burned in 1968 and had framed
* The views from her apartment and terrace