The Bowery Boys: New York City History
A study in madness: a view inside one room of the 1913 Armory Show This Sunday marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art — aka, the Armory Show of 1913 — which stunned New Yorkers and revolutionized the direction of American art in the 20th century. So… Read More
A beat in Times Square: Ben Carruthers drifts through the city in ‘Shadows’ BOWERY BOYS RECOMMEND is an occasional feature where we find an unusual movie or TV show that — whether by accident or design — uniquely captures an era of New York City better than any reference or history book. Other entrants in… Read More
The Sunday New York Times had an excellent article on the restoration of the film Manhatta, purported to be the ‘first avant garde film’ ever made and one of silent film’s great sightseeing tours of New York City. The film was a collaboration between photographers Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler, with a little help from… Read More
Say what you will about Barnes and Noble. They’ve destroyed the small bookstore. They’ve homogenized the reading experience. Kelly green makes you nauseous. But at least they have great taste in buildings. My favorite building around Union Square is 33 East 17th Street, the glorious landmarked Century Building, built in 1881 with rustic Queen Anne… Read More
Above: a hilariously hideous Robert Moses mosaic, on the sidewalk at Flushing Meadows Robert Moses wanted the World’s Fair of 1964 in Flushing Meadows to be a family affair with little controversial material. Not surprisingly this meant few displays for American art. So how did an Andy Warhol mural get plastered on the New York… Read More
We didnt have time in last week’s show to mention the Museum of Modern Art’s little cousin in Queens, the P.S. 1 Contemporary Arts Center. One of the most interesting art spaces in the entire city, P.S. 1 is MoMA’s hipper outlet, allowing a creative variety of exhibitions and even throwing in a dance party… Read More
Above: Guests admire a strange piece by Martin Puryear The biggest surprise behind the revolutionary creation of the Museum of Modern Art is that the characters who put it together were almost as colorful as the modern art they championed. Tag along as we peek behind the canvas of New York’s oldest temple of avant… Read More