In 1987, with CVJ – Nicknames of Maitre D's & Other Excerpts from Life, Julian Schnabel wrote a type of pictorial autobiography, retracing from the first-person perspective the artist's path to success. At that date, he had already participated in the groundbreaking exhibitions of his time: "Western Art" in Cologne (1981), "A New Spirit in Painting" in London (1981), and "Zeitgeist" (1982) in Berlin. As varied as the pieces are, they follow in the gesturally executed characteristic style and the superimposition of paint applications typical to Schnabel’s neo-expressionist painting.