112 Greene Street: The Early Years (1970–1974)

112 GREENE STREET was founded in October 1970 by Jeffrey Lew, Gordon Matta-Clark and Alan Saret, among others. The building became a focal point for a young generation of artists seeking a substitute to New York’s established gallery circuit. In the spirit of the 1970s desire for experimentation, the space was open to artists from all disciplines and did not impose censorship over their shows. As such, the building provided the setting for a rare, singular moment of artistic ingenuity, invention, and freedom that was at its peak between 1970 and 1974.

112 Greene Street: The Early Years (1970–1974) is the culmination of an exhibition by the same name that opened at David Zwirner in January 2011. This extensively researched and historically important book brings together a number of works exhibited at 112 Greene Street (including works by Matta-Clark, Vito Acconci, Tina Girouard, Suzanne Harris, Jene Highstein, Larry Miller, Alan Saret, and Richard Serra), as well as extensive interviews with many of the artists involved in the space, a fascinating timeline of all the activity at 112 Greene Street in the early years, and installation views of the 2011 exhibition. The text and interviews in the book have been prepared by the curator of the David Zwirner exhibition, Jessamyn Fiore.