A phenom of the drugs-and-money-fueled 1980s art scene, Salle fell off the map in the 1990s, but has recently been staging a comeback.

Midwesterner Salle came to New York in 1975 following art school; he ended up taking a job in the art department of a soft-core porno magazine, which provided him with material for his future paintings. Fellow artist Ross Bleckner introduced him to gallerist Mary Boone—soon to be the hottest art dealer of the '80s—and Salle had his first show at her gallery in 1981. A series of high-profile shows with Boone and Leo Castelli made Salle a star, and he and Julian Schnabel became the poster children for the decade's Neo-Expressionist movement. When the art bubble burst, Salle's fortunes took a downturn—both literally and artistically—and the ensuing lackluster work prompted the Times to opine that "if Salle's painting shocked anyone in the 90's … it was because it became so bland." While Salle kept producing canvasses in the years that followed he also began dabbling in sculpture, photography, film, and theater design. As of late, his paintings have enjoyed something of a resurrection on the art market.

One high profile side project came when Salle directed the 1995 film Search and Destroy, which was produced by Martin Scorsese and featured Ethan Hawke, Dennis Hopper, and Christopher Walken. The film failed to make much of an impression, perhaps because, like much of Salle's art, no one could understand what it was supposed to be about.

This image was lost some time after publication.