Alternative Art New York, 1965-1985 (Volume 19)

by Julie Ault

By the mid-1960s, New York's art establishment -- its major museums and galleries -- had ceased to reflect the city's diversity and had largely ignored the decade's social, political, and cultural ferment. In response, marginalized artists created an oppositional network of organizations, exhibit spaces, and cooperative galleries that both paralleled and challenged the status quo. This alternative art movement flourished for more than two decades, repositioning New York at the center of international contemporary art. Alternative Art New York brings together a diverse group of artists and critics to explore the origins and evolution of this diffuse and vibrant cultural scene from a variety of political, philosophical, organizational, economic, and aesthetic. Locating the movement within both the art world and its larger social and political context, these authors decipher the shifting configurations of cultural power in this period and the complex relationship between the mainstream and the marginal. With a unique, annotated chronology of the alternative art scene from 1965 to 1985, and illustrated with 150 images of key works, installations, and exhibits; reproductions of posters, communiques, and other ephemera; and photographs of protests and meetings, this volume is an important work of contemporary art history and a valuable sourcebook that suggests the basis for the return of an artist-driven cultural economy.

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2003

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really strong collection of essays about alternative art making and spaces during the titular historical period.