Page 35 - New York Waste Hot & Sweaty Summer 2015

Summer ISSue - NY WASTe 2015 35 AXEL – R.I.P.
A while ago my friend Shari died, SHE WAS ONE OF THE
MOST KIND HEARTED WOMEN I knew. She wanted to
introduce me to this fascinating and wonderful man that
she had so much interest in--she was besotted and in love.
Shari introduced us, his name was Axel and I could see the
magic that intrigued her in him, he was Merlin and a
Merry Prankster rolled into one. I decided to do a story on
him for a tattoo magazine, actually more photographs
than story, he was wonderful in front of a camera and his
eyes twinkled with mischief. We became fast friends. He
showed me his blood paintings and wondered if there was
an easy way to reproduce them inexpensively, I suggested
that maybe we could silkscreen them. I transferred his
images onto screens and we started to work but we were
disappointed with the results, the blood was too thick, it wouldn't go through the screens and when we diluted it the prints looked awful. We gave up.
When Axel left his wife for Shari they absconded together, my wife suggested we put them up, hide them and give them sanctuary until the furor was over. Their love story continued and they moved to Clinton Street, they were happy there and we spent some good time to- gether before our friendship deteriorated, maybe because of some crap I pulled or some- thing I imagined they did to my fragile ego.
The years went by and I saw them occasionally walking around but I never approached them, I was too embarrassed, then I heard that Shari had died. I called Axel and gave him my condolences. It was a sad moment but we were happy to reconnect with each other. Times lapsed and then we ran into each other, I was walking up Avenue A a few months ago, we were happy to see each other and we discussed his future plans. He was excited about the show he just had at Wendigo and was ready for a resurgence like the proverbial phoenix. We made plans for a future story, I told him about another artist working with his own blood and ran the idea about them interviewing each other. The idea was just to tape them but the photographic idea excited him. I was going to get two hospital gurneys and put them to- gether side by side and have several intravenous drips running from each of their bodies with red dye to stimulate blood. Axel was very excited by this idea and I told him I would set
it up. The last time I saw him was in Key Foods, I was grocery shopping with my girlfriend and I introduced them, his eyes still had that twinkle and he was flirtatious with her. We spoke for about an hour, he was preparing for a new show and was excited about the future. He was making plans to teach new artists his wax techniques, he wanted to pass down his secrets. Maybe he knew that there wasn't much time left, and as always Axel knew things we didn't. I'm sad that there will be no future collaboration but I'm happy that his soul will be once again reunited with Shari. Theirs was a true love story and isn't that what life is really about.
– Robert Butcher
I was beyond sadness when i heard about Axel's passing... he was a good man, AND one of the most tal- ented artist i ever knew.. and proba- bly will ever know. he was also a very lonely man and would wander the East Village trying to connect with people, sharing all his amazing stories to anyone who would listen.. he loved people. he wanted to know everyone, talk to everyone.. he was weird, eccentric but that was Axel and we've
truly lost a one of a kind soul...
We began
our friend-
ship with
our mutual
love for
making jew-
elry, i met
him at his
art opening
at the
Wendigo art
gallery, shortly after we attempted an apprenticeship but soon after my first fail attempted i gave up, though Axel never gave up on trying to talk me back into it... he did how- ever come to one or two of my jew- elry events out in Brooklyn, i could feel his happiness just to be there, and i felt pride to have him there... but more often than not, i would simply go over to his place and we'd watch horror movies while Axel played with his beloved bird, Guffy... i was so fascinated with all the weird nicknacks he had col-
lected over the years, an explosion of art and the occult, i was in my utopia, though truth be told i wasn't always a fan of Guffy, i had in one or more occasions left Axel's place with a bleeding finger...
There was brief period where i did not speak to Axel, not to say that i stopped caring or thinking of about Axel but i had gotten upset with him because i had set up for him to do an interview, he was always talk-
ing about how he felt he didn't get enough recogni- tion for all the things he had done, and i ab- solutely agreed, a man with his im-
mense talent should be up in muse- ums, galleries, every household should know or have at least heard of Axel's work, in my mind any- ways, so i had set up this interview and in the day of, he bailed, need- less to say i was beyond upset espe- cially when i would hear him rant on about how he needed to be doing more for his art, and here i tried to help him out... so a few months passed and we didn't speak but i couldn't take it anymore, i had to call, my anger swayed, the knowing that he was an older man, a good
man, and my friend, i couldn't not reach out to him again, i missed him, so i called him and we made up as if nothing happen...
Axel would come in to visit me at my job at Animals Food and Drink from time to time, he liked coming in and bringing me flowers, some that i still have, i keep them pressed against the pages of my journal... sometimes i would get him tipsy on margaritas and send him on his way.. sometimes he would sit there and talk for hours, and he would also start talking to the other peo- ple that would come in and eat at Animals... my co-workers got to know him, my regulars got to know him, even my ex boyfriend got to meet him, the kitchen guys would joke around that Axel was my boyfriend... sometimes he would try and stay there for my whole shift, i'd get impatient about that but he was always patient with my impatience... we often spoke on phone, we'd talk about art and life and pain... he always reminded me that if anything ever happen to me, that his doors were always open... in whatever intention that that was being offered, i still appreciated it anyways... i knew he cared about me and i cared about him, i ad- mired him deeply, i admired his life's work... and i still do.
Apprentice of Dali. Contemporary of Giger. Creator of the "Bio-Me- chanical" style. and Friend.
– Claudia Crespo
Axel on red carpet hanging with Wendy
photo: Joe Alvarez ©2015Axel
photo: Joe Alvarez ©2015Axel on