IN CONVERSATION: JAMIE BOCHERT AND JANE HOLZER

By Crash

As the muse of Marc Jacobs (who discovered her when she was bartending), a fan of PJ Harvey and a musician in New York’s underground scene, Jamie Bochert wears many hats on top of her successful modeling career. Born in New Jersey, she first strutted the catwalk for Ann Demeulemeester in 2002 and gained immediate notoriety for her androgynous silhouette and big dark eyes. Two years later, she decided to put her modeling career on hold in order to pursue her music. Discover our joint interview between the runway star and Jane Holzer, Andy Warhol’s Factory muse and art collector.

Jamie Bochert: What kind of music are you making now?

Jane Holzer: I’ve been experimenting more with manipulating sounds. I started out writing everything on piano but now I find myself getting lost in soundscapes before I even start to write a melody. It’s fun. When I was living in Fort Greene, NY in 2001, I became obsessed with Clara Rockmore, the great theremin virtuoso. I bought a DIY theremin to put together and rewired it to make lower tones. It was great, and I wish I still had it. Now I’m mixing sounds that I make through pedals on loops with guitar, piano, harmonium, flutes and vocals.

That sounds great. Are you self-taught?

Yes, I don’t know how to read music.

It’s probably better because you just have to be you and it’s your special thing.

Yes, I get a lot of inspiration from listening to my records.

What kind of records do you listen to?

I have a mix of everything from Nico to Neil Young, Nina Simone, Youseff Lateef, Chopin, the Cramps, Bob Marley, Lead Belly, Patti Smith, Richard Hell and, of course, Clara Rockmore. There’s one of my favorite music shops in NYC called The Music Inn. It’s a little music shop in the West Village that carries records and instruments from Mali and India, trumpets, etc. It’s a great old shop that I hope never closes. And the owner is so knowledgeable of everything he sells. I just love it there.

The music industry seems to have changed so much. Do you collect any jazz records like Charlie Parker or Thelonious Monk?

Yes, I love both of them.

I just learned a lot about Basquiat and Charlie Parker, and now I want to listen to his music even more.

I will send you some music to listen to.

I have a great story from when I bought this painting called CPKKR by Basquiat, I’ll send you a picture of it. He admired Charlie Parker so much. One day a friend of mine had a Charlie Parker record and he said something to Jean Michel, and Jean Michel told him he would trade him a painting for his record. So he ran to the Bronx, got his record, came back and Jean Michel gave him this great painting.

What great luck for your friend. You must have good stories from the Factory days and meeting Andy Warhol.

The accident in life when I got to meet Andy Warhol was just one of many great moments in my life. I remember Andy and David Hockney, and I went to England to see Jules Olitski sculptures. We had so many great experiences together: the Rothschild Balls, meeting Salvador Dali, going to plays. He flew to Palm Beach when I opened my ice cream store Sweet Baby Jane’s.

How did you start collecting art?

I always wanted to collect art. I sort of dabbled in painting. I sculpted kind of like Giacometti, long tall men. But I thought: there’s Giacometti so why should I sculpt, right? So I channeled it into collecting art. A year ago I was at the Tate Modern, at a show called Soul of the Nation which became very important. There was a Frank Bowling painting and a Daniel Larue Johnson and I couldn’t believe it. This is 2017 and I commissioned them in 1969. I felt so good about that.

What a great story! I can’t imagine what that must have felt like to see those works thirty-seven years later. You have an incredible collection in your house in NYC. I loved coming over for dinner. I was in awe of everything I saw.

Yes, it’s a big part of my life. I enjoy it so much.

Marc Jacobs also has an incredible collection of art. I would love to learn more. You and Marc have been friends for a while, right?

Yes, I have known him for a while and we got closer through the years. How did you meet Marc?

I met Marc ten years ago. I was a bartender at a bar in the Bowery and he gave me a job as his model, standing while he draped fabric over me to design his clothes. It was honestly the best thing that happened to me at that time. I was working in a bar and made about fifty bucks a night because it was always empty, so that job with Marc really saved me, and it spun into a ten-year career. I continued to work with Marc for all those years. I’m happy to get to say I worked so closely with such a great artist.

Yes, I agree that he really is an artist. Will you do any fashion shows this season?

Yes, but only a few. I’ve been taking a break from the show seasons to spend more time focusing on music, reading and creating my art.