chuck zoccola

April 13, 2023

When I saw Chuck’s collection of my work online at auction, I knew that he had died.

There’s no way he would of let go of that work otherwise.

I first met Chuck on the street in Soho.

I had a show in the East Village at the time, and one of the things I did to advertise was to take a large painting to Soho, lean it up against a wall and pass out invitations to my show across town.

That’s how I met Chuck. As I remember it, he was in town with his much younger nephew taking him on a tour of galleries.

I wasn’t there when he went to my show, but the story goes that he broke out in a sweat and had to sit down.

Chuck worked for Chubb Insurance, which insures a lot of art collections, and so he was very knowledgeable on the subject.

His home was like a mini museum, mostly American as I recall, a lot of it going way back. I remember thinking that he must spend oceans of time dusting, as every flat surface had a ceramic or sculpture piece sitting upon it.

Chubb had an in-house gallery, and luckily for me, Chuck was in charge of it.

I think I had two shows there over the years. I always sold well through all of my Chuck-related connections.

People who know me through Chuck always treated me and my work with tremendous respect. I think he thought of me as his discovery.

I drew a cartoon in 2006 that was entitled Monument Proposal for Cincinnati.

The setting of the cartoon is the opening of The Tim Folzenlogen Monument and consists of various prominent people being interviewed.

The first person interviewed is Donald Trump, who built the monument. This was back when he was just beginning his Reality TV career, when he was just a playboy builder.

Chuck is the third interview. He was the inspiration for the entrance.

The actual monument is of a huge erect penis visible from all three of my boyhood homes, as well as from downtown Cincinnati.

The final interview is with me:

“I’m the big dick. Everybody is afraid to talk to me.”

Chuck would always talk to me, and he would always comfort me.

He would tell me that the reason they would not respond, is because they all knew that I was right.

I saw his collection showing up online at this time as being an expression of his on-going love and confidence in me.

Google me, and now you can see some really nice examples of my work right up front.

How very nice.

The prices are ridiculous, but there are always those stories of being at the right place at the right time.

I congratulate those buyers.

To own something of mine with Chuck Zoccola providence, is to own something that is priceless.

Thanks Chuck.

I always loved you too.