Pier Groups: Art and Sex Along the New York Waterfront

In the 1970s, the abandoned piers of the Hudson River in New York City became a hub for avant-garde art and a place for queer identities to mix. Artists like Vito Acconci, Alvin Baltrop, Shelley Seccombe, and David Wojnarowicz created works in and around the fire-ravaged structures, while the fight for gay, lesbian, and transgendered rights was transforming the cultural and social landscape of the city. Pier Groups explores the relationship between avant-garde art and resistant subcultures and radical sexuality, featuring one hundred exemplary works from the era.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 03 May 2019
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

In the vibrant city of New York during the 1970s, the abandoned piers of the Hudson River transformed into a captivating stage for extraordinary artistic creations and a popular destination for nude sunbathing and anonymous sexual encounters. Jonathan Weinberg's thought-provoking book, a blend of art history and memoir, weaves together a rich tapestry of interviews, documentary photographs, literary texts, artworks, and film stills to explore the intricate interplay between avant-garde practices and queer identities along the bustling Manhattan waterfront.

A diverse array of artists, including Vito Acconci, Alvin Baltrop, Shelley Seccombe, and David Wojnarowicz, ventured into and around the fire-ravaged structures that, just two decades prior, had served as the bustling hub of the world's largest shipping port. Simultaneously, the fierce fight for the rights of gay, lesbian, and transgendered individuals, ignited by the historic 1969 Stonewall riots, was reshaping the cultural and social landscape of New York City in profound ways. Gay men suddenly found themselves liberated to embrace nudity, engage in cruising, and engage in public sex on the piers. While artists collaborated to transform the buildings of Pier 34 into makeshift art studios and exhibition spaces, gay men transformed Pier 46 into what Delmas Howe aptly describes as an "arena for sexual theater."

Pier Groups, a groundbreaking exploration, presents a comprehensive examination of the profound relationship between avant-garde art and resilient subcultures, as well as radical sexuality. Featuring one hundred exemplary works from this transformative era, the book draws from a diverse range of sources, including interviews and Weinberg's personal experiences. Through its innovative approach, Pier Groups offers a fresh perspective on the interplay between artistic expression and societal challenges, shedding light on the ways in which art has played a vital role in shaping the narratives of marginalized communities.

Weight: 830g
Dimension: 189 x 235 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271082172