The Downtown Decade: NYC 1975-1985 coming soon to Glenn Horowitz Bookseller

In a show that sounds not all that far off from what the Fales Library did about 10 years ago, Glenn Horowitz Bookseller announced the following event(s) earlier today:

The Downtown Decade: NYC 1975–1985

Exhibition Dates: Thursday, September 10–Saturday, October 10, 2015

Opening Reception: Tuesday, September 15th, 6–8 pm

17 West 54th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues

Catalog PDF available here. Includes many photos of Stupefaction faves & pals like Kate Simon, Allan Tannenbaum, Marcia Resnick, Roberta Bayley, Bob Gruen, and much more.

We are excited to begin our Fall season with The Downtown Decade: NYC 1975–1985, a multi-genre overview of the visionary creative scene that developed on New York City's Lower East Side during the late 1970s and early 1980s. At a time when the city was on the brink of fiscal disaster and suffering daily internal chaos, a burgeoning and interconnected artistic community emerged that would enduringly alter previously held perceptions of art, photography, literature, film, and music.

On display will be original items both by and featuring many of the era's participants, including Rene Ricard, David Armstrong, Nan Goldin, the Lurie Brothers, Jenny Holzer, Richard Prince, Peter Hujar, Kiki Smith, and Christoph Kohlhofer, as well as historical documentary material—vintage issues of the East Village Eye, gallery flyers, posters, manuscripts, and advertisements—and original artwork and photography by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kate Simon, Philip Taaffe, Francesco Clemente, Marcia Resnick, Curt Hoppe, Jimmy DeSana, Christopher Makos, and Patti Smith, among others.

A soundtrack showcasing the period's outstanding musical talent will also be playing in the gallery during the show, including songs by the Ramones, The Clash, Blondie, Public Image Ltd., Grandmaster Flash, Talking Heads, James Chance, the Lounge Lizards, and Television.

The exhibition will be on display from Thursday, September 10–Saturday, October 10, 2015. 
An opening reception will be held Tuesday, September 15th, from 6-8 pm.

Events in conjunction with The Downtown Decade:

Book Signing: Jeannette Montgomery Barron


Date: Wednesday, September 30th, 6-8 pm 


Location: GHB Penthouse, 20 West 55th Street

Photographer and author Jeannette Montgomery 
Barron will be signing copies of her new book, My Years 
in the 1980s: New York Art Scene, in the GHB penthouse. Material featured in the book will be on display during the event, and RARE will remain open until 7 pm.

Screening: Downtown 81, with Glenn O’Brien


Date: TBA 


Location: GHB Penthouse, 20 West 55th Street

Please join us for a special screening in the 
GHB penthouse of Downtown 81, starring 
Jean-Michel Basquiat, which has been praised for capturing “…that New York moment when punk, emerging rap, art school cool and the East Village art and music scenes were at their creative best.” 
The film’s writer and producer, Glenn O’Brien, will both introduce the film and answer questions afterward. Seating will be limited.

New book of note - St. Marks Is Dead: The Many Lives of America’s Hippest Street by Ada Calhoun

St. Marks Place and Third Avenue, 1963, photographer unknown.

Ada Calhoun, the author of this enticing new title on the fabled stretch of 8th Street in NYC recently posted the above image of Third Avenue & Saint Marks Place on Facebook, and it caught my eye. That's how I found out, eventually, about her new book coming out in November. Count me in.

If the following quote by Calhoun (from a Q&A on her website) is any indication, this should be an excellent read!

"...In the course of three years of research, I learned that people have always said St. Marks was dead. One thing you hear a lot about the street is: “I was there when it was cool. It’s over now.” People said that in the fifties about the thirties, and in the eighties about the sixties. Whenever people say that to me I ask them to tell me the last time they stayed out until super late on St. Marks Place. I did recently and it was packed with young people having the time of their lives. I’m very suspicious of anyone who identifies the best era in a place’s history as coinciding precisely with when they were sixteen."

St. Marks Is Dead: The Many Lives of America’s Hippest Street:

Coming November 2, 2015, from W.W. Norton & Co. 

Pre-order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iBookstore

Shot By: Ted Barron

(Love goes to) building on fire. A neighborhood watches a fire. Lower East Side, NYC, 1984. ©Ted Barron.

Shot by: Jacob Riis. You thought the NYC of the 1970's and 80's was rough?

Check out these amazing shots of the Lower East Side by Jacob Riis from the late 1800's. 

See more here.

Shot by: Ann Sanfedele

Cat in Window above Manic Panic Store , 33 St. Marks Place, 1981

Jeremiah's Vanishing New York has a nice short interview with longtime East Village resident & photographer, Ann Sanfedele. Read it & see more photos here. Stunning work.

See Ann's full collection of 1970s and 1980s photos here

Buy her calendars, including "East Village Back in the Day," here

86 E 7th Street, mid-70's

212 East 14th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Ave), 1992

Antagovision: Lee Harvey - Obscure Dictators art show

Here is the final post of the week from Ethan Minsker!

This is a video from our public access show. It has aired here in NYC for the past 10 years on channel 67 on Tuesday nights at 11pm. If you are not familiar with public access, these are channels provided by the cable networks for community use. It was popular with the downtown residents of New York City since the start of cable TV back in the 70's. Today everyone just watches web videos.

To see more of Ethan's stuff have a look at his site http://www.ethanminsker.com/

Antagovision: Arturo Vega and his day-glow swastikas

 

Arturo Vega art show of Day-Glow Swastika. This was the first time these had been publicly shown since the 70s. This art is also mentioned in the book Please Kill Me by Legs McNeil. The Ramones art and shirts we all know and love? Yes that was Arturo Vega.

This is from our Public Access show on MNN NYC which airs Saturday nights on channel 67 at 11:00pm. 

Filmed by Ethan Minsker and crew.

You can find more of Ethan's work here.

You can find more of Arturo Vega's work here.

Mr. Nobody Presents: Carla Rhodes

Artist & independent filmmaker, Ethan Minsker, who we've featured here before, has a bunch of new material I'll be running over the next few days. First up is this pilot for the Mr. Nobody Show featuring rock 'n' roll ventriloquist & comedienne, Carla Rhodes.

Carla Rhodes is a rock 'n' roll ventriloquist & comedienne. She caught the ventriloquial bug at the age of nine after seeing Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop on television. Carla later caught the attention of her hero and as a result, was mentored by Shari Lewis.

By the time Carla was a teenager, she was performing all over her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. While attending Middle Tennessee State University, she recorded a full length comedy music album in Nashville. "I Love Animals," a cut off of "Carla's Golden Hits, vol 6," got rotation on the Dr. Demento's "Top Funny Five," eventually placing at number two. With a Mass Communications degree under one arm, and a puppet under the other, Carla then escaped to New York City.

You can find out more about Carla at carlarhodes.net.

Ethan Minsker: Mr. Nobody

Ethan Minsker, founder of the Antagonist Movement, has a new film project to tell us about...Mr. Nobody. He's looking for people to be involved. If, after watching the teaser, you'd like to be a part of it, drop him a line in the comments section of his Vimeo page right here:

This is a test for a larger film project about moments that change your life. The larger film will take place in South America in Ecuador at the end of 2013. For me the event was an airplane crash that happened a few miles from where I was. I tried to be as truthful as I could, not easy when you think people might see it. I think there might be many artists out there who can relate. If you have a story feel free to let me know in the comments box below the video on Vimeo. If you like the video please feel free to pass it on. I need all the help I can get.- Ethan, December 2012

For previous posts about Ethan & Antagonist on Stupefaction, click here.

Antagonist Art, Part 2: The Books

Last week we featured the films of the Antagonist Movement & Ethan Minsker. Today, Ethan is back with part two which focuses on his books. As I mentioned last week, back in the late 90's I had a weekly DJ gig at Niagara in the East Village at 7th St and Avenue A. One of my favorite guys to work with there, Ethan Minsker, has gone on to follow his muse with the Antagonist Art Movement which, so far, encompasses an impressive collection of film and books. I've asked Ethan to to give us some background on his projects as I think its well worth spreading the word. Big thanks to Ethan for the contribution!

As an unknown writer, I knew I would have little chance to find an agent and/or publisher, so I used what I had learned from publishing my fanzine, Psycho Moto Zine, and other chapbooks to start my own publishing company. Through the fanzine I have editors and artists whom I trust. Everything else I am still learning. The only differences I can see between a major publishing house, and becoming your own publisher, are distribution and publicity. The advantage for me is that I can produce a book the way I want. Most writers will tell you that, unless you are a best seller, publishers won't put in the time to edit or promote your novel. I wanted to make works that I would love, long after I produced them, alongside artists I admired and thought had potential to grow. Maybe you have seen the sticker of my book cover for Barstool Prophets? Promotion for my books has been a mixed bag of t-shirts, stickers, and videos playing on our public access show. The mainstream channels won't pay attention to you unless you are George Clooney, and while I do have a nice smile, I am no George Clooney. So promotion has been guerilla-style—down and dirty. In an attempt to generate a following of readers I have priced my ebook's at $1.99, everywhere ebook's can be found. Take a risk and get your own. Signed copies of my book can be found at the St. Marks Bookstore currently on 9th street and 3rd Avenue in New York City.

My writing

I believe that everyone’s life can be broken up into chapters. The series I am currently working on separates my life into three parts. The first, growing up in Washington, D.C., and becoming involved in the punk rock scene where my friends were murdered. The second, moving to New York City at age eighteen, and working in the Lower East Side bars. Thirdly, the book I am currently in the process of editing covers the birth of the Antagonist Art Movement and my transition from bars to galleries. My D.C. book, Rich Boy Cries For Momma, took me over 12 years to finish. Like a detective I had to search out all the punk rock bands to get permission to reprint their lyrics. I write in a conversational, simple and direct tone. I am interested in how locations and environments work as a background and help shape the story itself, from Washington, D.C.'s punk scene in the 80s and 90s, to New York City, before and after September 11th. The city you live in is as much a part of the story as your characters.

Below are descriptions and links to trailers of the books and fanzines by Ethan H. Minsker. Please don't be shy about passing these on. And if you do read any of them, join our fan pages on Facebook to get updates.

Rich Boy Cries for Momma is told from the perspective of the good son turned teenage punk rocker, and is set in Washington, D.C. during the turbulent 1970s and 80s. Filled with mayhem, teenage romances, and substance abuse, but also humor and warmth, the story focuses on the young, unnamed protagonist. A disparate cast of characters—from junkies, gangsters, and jocks, to the kids of diplomats, the girl next door and the boy who suffers from fecalphilia—become entangled in the “scene”. Rich Boy Cries for Momma pulls the reader into the allure of a counterculture that ultimately changes the lives of the narrator and those he cares most about.

Barstool Prophets is a rowdy, raw, and humorous memoir of true events. The story follows the lives of a wild spectrum of characters, narrated by a young writer working in a bar in New York’s East Village. Barstool Prophets chronicles this iconic neighborhood over a period of 20 years, from its seedy early 1990s, to its recent gentrification into a Manhattan hot spot. From the love-addled bartender, to the suicidal doorman, to the junkies in Tompkins Square Park, they are a family, with all the accompanying joys and dysfunctions.



Trailer for Barstool Prophets

Read a copy of PMZ fanzine here.

Antagonist Art, Part 1: The Movies

Back in the late 90's I had a weekly DJ gig at Niagara in the East Village at 7th St and Avenue A. One of my favorite guys to work with there, Ethan Minsker, has gone on to follow his muse with the Antagonist Art Movement which, so far, encompasses an impressive collection of film and books. I've asked Ethan to to give us some background on his projects as I think its well worth spreading the word. Here is the first of a two part series, by Ethan, about Antagonist:

Movies of Ethan H. Minsker and the Antagonist Art Movement 

The Antagonist Art Movement attempts to foster and promote unknown artists through a variety of events. These films reflect those values. Whether its women of Lower East Side punk rock bands in the early ’90s such as in the documentary “Anything Boys Can Do…” or “The Soft Hustle,” a narrative film of the Lower East Side bar scene in 2003 featuring cameos such as Jesse Malin, Handsome Dick Manitoba, Howie Pyro and many more. We have tried to make films that would appeal to the young and struggling artists, not for those who are only interested in the already successful artists. (There are enough films about those rich and famous artists.) Each film we have made available on Amazon for $1.99—cheap!—so it lets broke artists watch them all. All the money goes back into helping make more films and host more art events. “The Dolls of Lisbon” just came out on iTunes and looks the best from them. With the new digital distribution it's possible to reach a large audience quickly; that is if they know about us. That said, don't be shy about letting your artist friends know. Below is a quick run down of each film along with a trailer. We hope our work inspires you to make your own. 

The Dolls of Lisbon: A movie about struggling artists making work on the other side of the world. A DIY eyeball-busting bonanza about 100 handmade dolls. Find it on Amazon, iTunes and on DVD. Local book store: Saint Marks Book Shop on 9th St & 3rd Ave. 

This is Berlin, Not New York DVD and Amazon Instant download. See what trouble the Antagonists can get in when they make art in abandoned buildings in Berlin. 

The Soft Hustle: The story of a Lower East Side lowlife who makes a bet for $1,000, which he promptly loses. After getting kicked out of the apartment of his girlfriend, he finds himself going home with cheap barflies, robbing East Village stores and pathetically pretending he is gay just to have a place to sleep. This film is an extra on The Dolls of Lisbon DVD or can be downloaded from Amazon Instant Video. 

Anything Boys Can Do…: The underground music world has been characteristically male-dominated, in both the bands and the audiences. With the upsurge of women involved in the scene, female bands and musicians are all too often regarded as novelty acts, regularly shrugged off as militant feminist or cutely entertaining. Overwhelmed by the numbers of male bands, female bands of the scene are lumped together in one category "girl group," regardless of style, talent or musical content. Anything Boys Can Do... investigates and reveals the issues affecting women in general and as individual performers.

I Dreamed I Was A Very Clean Tramp: The Richard Hell Memoir

Coming 3.12.13, I Dreamed I Was A Very Clean Tramp by Richard Hell. Pre-order here.

Viva Loisaida, 1978

An incredible short film produced by "Gruppe Dokumentation" & "Tylis" and filmed in Loisada, by Marlis Momber. In just 10 minutes it gives a deep look into the Lower East Side in the Fall of 1978 with Chino Garcia & Bimbo Rivas. Just beautiful.

Via EV Grieve & Flaming Pablum.

Nightclubbing in the Summer of Heroin

Max Blagg by Emily Armstrong

I was beginning to think there wouldn't be an entry this week from our pals Emily & Pat at Nightclubbing. But lo & behold, here it is! This week they take us back to the summer of 1980, talk about getting ripped off by junkies in the East Village, and tell us that sometimes a poem is all a girl needs (the right sort of girl anyway), and how it all connects to a fellow named Max Blagg.

August 1980 in the Lower East Side: it was the Summer of Heroin. Clinton Street was not yet restaurant row – it was lined with shooting galleries, rows of cars with Jersey plates and steerers plying their wares. “We got Snoopy, 7-Up, Yellow Bag; we got the stuff that can kill you, man!” – a pitch both fascinating and confounding. Junkies were on every other corner and street muggings were rampant. Home break-ins were a fact of life so common that it became uninteresting unless it happened to you. Continued here.

Visit Go Nightclubbing here
Read all of Pat & Emily's stories here

The Young and The Useless ad (1982)

Via Hardcore Punk Misc

Saints of the Lower East Side

Saints of the Lower East Side: Martin Wong, Joey Ramone, Miguel Piñero, Ellen Stewart, Charlie Parker, Arthur Fellig and Allen Ginsberg. For more information visit EV Grieve as well as the website of artist Tom Sanford.

Installing Charlie Parker

Movie of the Week - some shorts shot in NYC

Astor Place 1979 (silent):


Manhattan 1979 (silent):


11th & B:


Excerpt from Last Summer Won't Happen:

Twenty minutes of love In Tompkins Square

Geordie from Konk just posted this fantastic live video of the band tearing it up in Tompkins Square Park in 1986. It's an epic twenty (!) minute version of "Love Attack."



In keeping with the live, eighties, LES vibe, visit EV Grieve for some excellent footage of a crowd enjoying themselves at a 1981 Tompkins Square concert featuring Pierce Turner, Essential Bop, Liquid Liquid, Science, and Certain General.

Out Harvey Wang's Window

Accomplished downtown NYC photographer, Harvey Wang, will have an exhibit open tomorrow night at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum from 7:00-8:30. The 22 featured photographs were taken in & around his Chinatown apartment building in the late 70's/early 80's. Read all about itat the Lens blog in the NY Times.

Mr. Wong's Kitchen, 1980, by Harvey Wang

Rare 1983 video from Konk for a Saturday night

Here's a look at a super rare video from Konk doing their anthem, "Konk Party." A nice one for some late Saturday night dancing...Filmed on location in the LES, 1983. Thanks to Phil Gammage for the tip!