ORNITHOLOGY

David Schoffman and I spotting a small flock of Red-billed Choughs, l"Isle-Adam, France 2012

On a recent trip to Auvers-sur-Oise researching my book on Faun Roberts I ran into the Los Angeles painter David Schoffman. We have known each other as nodding acquaintances for several years - we share several mutual friends - but this was the first time I spent any significant time with him. I've always heard that he was a pompous, pedantic blowhard and so prior to this trip, even though we live in the same city, I never really made an effort to get to know him.

It turns out that we have two important things in common. The first being Faun Roberts.

Schoffman, through some fluke (his version) or through some marginally legal series of transactions (my version), owns two paintings by Roberts. Princes Polyxena from 1926 and the recently authenticated extremely large Victims Demand Allegiances, also from '26. 

Victims Demand Allegiances, oil on canvas, 120 x 84 inches. 1926 (collection of David Schoffman)

Princes Polyxena, distemper on panel, 1926 (collection of David Schoffman)

Schoffman claims that his affinity for Roberts dates back to his student days in Paris. His classmate at l'Académie, Currado Malaspina was an avid enthusiast of modern expatriate painters such as Stanley Wm. Hayter, Patrick Henry Bruce and Max Weber. In the process of searching private collections for long forgotten works they unexpectedly came across a few small drawings by Faun Roberts. Malaspina has always diminished the importance of this discovery referring to Roberts as "une amatrice agaçante" but Schoffman, I was pleasantly surprised to learn, felt otherwise.

Upon returning to L.A. I visited David's cramped Culver City apartment and lo and behold, hung crookedly on single rusted nails, in a room that serves inefficiently as both pantry and office, side by side as if waiting for a tram are the two stunning Roberts' !!

I still find Schoffman pompous and pedantic but he does have a few redeeming attributes.

Oh, and the second thing we have in common?

Birdwatching.

from David Schoffman's birdwatching sketchbook #103