Remembering the 1980s East Village Scene: Property from an Important New York Estate offers a vibrant survey of works, providing a glance at what one would find hanging in galleries or featured in street art showcased throughout the neighborhood during this time.
In the 1980s, the East Village attracted artists and creatives by offering more reasonable real estate than Soho and Uptown. As a result, a group of like-minded artists and gallery owners established themselves in the East Village, fueling artists to work rebelliously. By the height of the movement, close to a hundred galleries opened in the East Village, drawing a concentration of creatives who sparked a hotbed of competing styles and attitudes. The neighborhood was bustling with artists experimenting with unusual and resourceful materials, united by this neighborhood that afforded them the liberties to explore and showcase their work.