Before downtown New York became a shopping and dining destination for locals and visitors alike, it was filled with derelict buildings, junkies, and vacancies. From Soho and Bowery to the East Village, it was a breeding ground for art, literary, music and fashion from the ‘60s to the ’80s. The movement they created influenced so much of everything that came after. The defunct magazine of that time, the East Village Eye was on the ground to document the social and cultural change that was exploding. As they explain: “Ultimately, The East Village Eye was the monthly record of a time and place in which the radical shifts of the post-Vietnam era produced a reckless thirst for experience and expression that redefined the world we live in today, and has rarely been seen in our culture since.” The list of contributors and profiles were a who’s who of the New York creative scene and beyond; Jim Jarmusch, Glenn O’ Brien, Stephen Sprouse, Eric Bogosian, Barbara Kruger, Rei Kawakubo, Clash and so many others. The East Village Eye ended in 1987 but on the occasion of the Met’s exhibition on Punk, they’ve resurfaced in digital form. Ten issues are now available in pdf form on their site. An archive is underway on all 72 issues. Selections of each will be made over time. via EV Grieve.

PBS premiered 10 Buildings That Changed America over the weekend. From Virginia’s Grecian columned Capitol to Frank Gehry’s undulating metallic skin that is the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the buildings that were featured spans 300 centuries. They not only influenced American architecture but were also symbolic to the history of this nation. The show looks into the past and the architects that designed and engineered these significant structures with interviews with historians and anecdotal stories of how these buildings came to be. 10 Buildings That Changed America can be viewed in its entirety on their site.

For years Serge Mouille did not share the same amount of recognition as his fellow Frenchman, Jean Prouvé. Though this does not diminish his work in the slightest. Mouille’s lighting design is gaining awareness through the years due in part to broader distribution in his licensed designs, cheaper replicas, exhibitions, and profiled auctions. David John interviews Dan Tolson from Los Angeles Modern Auctions and gives us insight into Mouille’s collectibility, dedication to quality control, and the uniqueness of an original Mouille versus the newer licensed versions.

James Turrell is a hero of ours. We’re consumed by the progress of his ongoing master piece in the Arizona desert and whenever possible we make it a point to visit one of his works during our travels. So it should come as no surprised that we’re thrilled about the three major exhibitions on Turrell this summer. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the Guggenheim have worked in concert to bring this retrospective together. Most impressive, biased because of our location, is Aten Reign. The site specific installation will transform Guggenheim’s rotunda into a canvas for shifting artificial and natural light that is synonymous with Turrell’s work. LACMA will be the first of the three museums, with their exhibition opening May 26th. Followed by The Museum of Fine Arts Houston on June 9th and finally Guggenheim on June 21st.

At first glance, the 620 Chair designed by Dieter Rams appears the same as it did when it was first produced in 1962. But when Vitsoe took over exclusive licensing they re-engineered every component of the chair to make it better by customizing nearly every piece. Vitsoe worked closely with Rams to improve upon the comfort and most importantly the longevity. To celebrate the occasion, Vitsoe New York will be hosting the ‘620 Reading Room’ with their neighbor Dashwood Books. The reading room will be open next week from May 17th to May 20th.

Vitsoe
33 Bond Street
New York NY 10012

We’re excited about Hole & Corner, a new magazine coming out of England that “celebrates craft, beauty, passion and skill.” The bi-annual publication will have a digital counterpart with what appears to be content and e-commerce driven to support craftsmen by exposing their work to a wider audience. Bill Gentle (Backyard Bill) will be contributing but little else is known as who and what will be in the first issue. The big reveal is set for May 23rd or sooner according to their twitter feed. Until then have a look at their facebook, instagram, and pinterest to see the aesthetic and creative direction they are most likely taking.