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In the early 1970s, as New York City was in an economic and social downturn, a vibrant arts scene emerged in downtown Manhattan south of 14th Street. From its onset, it was fully aware of its status as a bona fide scene. Over the next two and a half decades, the scene gave rise to a generation of innovative artists, writers, and musicians. Yet, even though the downtown scene generated its share of art world celebrities, it was always defined by a distinctly DIY aesthetic and ethic. As Brandon Stosuy emphasizes in “Up Is Up, But So Is Down,” a compendium of texts and images documenting downtown’s literary scene, writers and other cultural producers here “took an active role in the production process, starting magazines, small and occasional presses, galleries, activist organizations, theaters and clubs,” and this was as true for the scene’s celebrity artists as it was for its cultural producers working in relative obscurity. You can read more here

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