Topic: Public Cultures: Urban Cultural Life and the Downtown Culture Explosion

Catalog description

From the late 1960’s to the 1990s, Downtown New York became and artistic community that nurtured punk, art, fashion, film and literature. A rollicking collection of artistic cadres flaunted edgy urban lifestyles and wove their cultural creations into a texture of customs firmly rooted in urban space. These mavericks defined the Villages and Soho as a riposte to mainstream career paths and suburban norms. This course explores the roots of this cultural explosion, situating specific works and personalities in the historical context and particular geography of Downtown New York. Course work will include research in the important archives of the Downtown New York Collection at the Fales Library, fieldwork and observation, and assignments integrating analysis across genres and media.