Eclectic collection

A young Muhammad Ali stared over the shoulder of the evening’s guest of honor, art collector Richard Weisman, his come-and-get-me stance amped by Andy Warhol and warmly lit inside Cheryl Tiegs’ high-beamed, woody living room. Cans of Campbell’s soup were positioned throughout the house in homage to the artist.

A white-bearded Ed Ruscha lumbered around in a long black coat carrying a giant red martini, resembling a slim, smartly dressed Santa Claus. Tiegs’ ex-husband Tony Peck (No. 3) was there, seemingly enthralled by Vidal Sassoon. Another of Tiegs’ ex-husbands, Rod Stryker (No. 4), was definitely not in attendance, having filed suit against her earlier that day in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming she failed to turn over $20,000 their twin 2-year-old sons earned for posing with her on the cover of More magazine.

At the Wednesday night party, however, Tiegs’ most pressing concern was the valet. Poor planning meant everyone was forced to hike down the steep driveway to her house. Jackie Collins and Lorna Luft swept in out of breath. “I said to Jackie, ‘Oh shut up and take your shoes off!’ ” Luft told Tiegs. George Schlatter, best known for producing the bi-annual Carousel of Hope Ball and the classic sketch-comedy show, “Laugh-In,” complained comically: “I sent out for some ropes and a Sherpa! We don’t ski down anything that steep!”

Tiegs managed the glitch gracefully. As guests examined the Warhol portrait of her hanging near the fireplace, she swanned over to her stereo to turn up the volume on the BeeGees’ “Stayin’ Alive.” Priscilla Presley and Jacqueline Bisset completed the tableau, at least according to one observer. “It’s like a who’s who of the ‘80s art world,” he said.

The party was held to celebrate Weisman’s new book, “From Picasso to Pop: The Richard Weisman Collection.” Proceeds from the evening’s book sales went to one of Tiegs’ favorite charities: Cedars-Sinai’s Community Outreach Assistance for Children’s Health (COACH), which provides free medical services to underprivileged families. Tiegs and Weisman met in the early ‘80s, at a time when, she recalled, she was dating the “breathtakingly gorgeous” tennis player Vitas Gerulaitis, and the three of them attended lots of matches together. They also “used to go out with Andy a lot,” she said. Weisman “kind of introduced me to the art world.”

Weisman is the son of the late Marcia Weisman, who helped teach Los Angeles about contemporary art, most notably by securing the downtown Grand Avenue site for MOCA. He is also the nephew of Norton Simon, whose name graces the renowned Pasadena museum.

“I’ve had over 500 people come and tell me that my mother started them collecting,” said Weisman. “My book is basically being done to show mine.”

As Irving Blum approached the book-signing table, Weisman boasted of being an early collector of Roy Lichtenstein. “People were saying to me, ‘You honestly didn’t pay thousands of dollars for that cartoon, did you?’ ” he recalled.

“He didn’t pay nearly enough for it,” quipped Blum, director and later co-owner of the legendary Ferus Gallery, who sold Weisman his first Lichtenstein.

Outside, by the lushly landscaped pool, over the sound of a rushing (artificial) waterfall, artist Chuck Arnoldi’s wife, author Katie Arnoldi, talked about the forthcoming film based on her 2001 bestseller “Chemical Pink,” a Pygmalion story set in the world of women’s body building. “We are about to be in pre-production,” she said. “It’s so exciting!”

Two hours into the evening, Tiegs was second-guessing her own art collection. Gagosian Gallery director Roger Shapazian had congratulated her on positioning her Ross Bleckner above her bedroom mantel (“The door was open. I hope you don’t mind”).

“I’m almost wanting to sell the Bleckner for a Miro,” she said, looking grave. “... But maybe the Miro is too strong.”

“The Ross Bleckner is so mysterious,” said Shapazian. “This is the atmosphere of this house -- intuitive. Things here are close to the source of creation.”

Perhaps profundity is in the eye of the beholder.