“Art Is What You Can Get Away With.” —Andy Warhol
The first thing I noticed at Casa Cruz was the copper bar. The warm glow of the metal wasn’t just a design choice; it felt like a subtle nod to Chile, my homeland and the world’s largest exporter of copper. It was as if the owner, a fellow Chilean, had left a small piece of home in the heart of the Upper East Side. The attention to detail hinted I was in for something special.
From the art collection to the old-world glamour reminiscent of the ’80s art scene, everything felt curated. We took one of those typical Upper East Side townhouse elevators to the rooftop, guided by an attendant whose outfit was anything but a uniform (thanks to New Zealand fashion designer Emilia Wickstead). The crowd felt less like a typical New York scene and more like a gathering of expats.
We ordered the scallop ceviche, which is amazing, the King Crab, and the octopus carpaccio that is just right. The stuffed zucchinis were exquisite.
The starving artist has always been a cliche. Arriving at Casa Cruz, I thought about the long history of artists paying with their work. Van Gogh would eat at different restaurants as long as he painted for the family. Then there were rock stars like Dalí and Picasso, whose mere signatures were worth enormous amounts of money. It creates the magic of this idea: if you could escape the starving artist role, your scribble would be enough to satisfy the owner.
I remembered Warhol’s quote, “Art is what you can get away with.” It’s about pushing boundaries, expanding the Overton window of what society accepts. There’s satisfaction in being playful, testing where the line is.
I decided to honor this tradition by paying the bill with a drawing on the check. This is a bill, let’s pay it with a bill. It has a similar shape and proportions, right? Instead of just a signature, I transformed it into a $10,000 note featuring Warhol, including his quote, and signed it where the head of the Treasury would. If the amount due is in the thousands, let’s up the value so, theoretically, now you owe me. It’s a beautiful gesture and reflects how I think and work. It’s money, and my work is my money. Let me transform this. But you pay me.
Sebastian Errazuriz is a New York-based designer, artist, and entrepreneur.
