East Village Eye

THE FIRST DEFINITION OF THE TERM "HIP HOP"

The East Village Eye, or simply "the Eye" as it came to be known among its legion of readers, chronicled the electric and multi-disciplinary downtown arts scene of New York City from 1979 to 1987. Published by Editor-in-Chief Leonard Abrams, who was just twenty-four when he founded the magazine, the Eye covered and featured an unrivaled roster of artists, musicians, movements, and neighborhood personalities. With its acerbic tagline of "It's All True," the Eye featured both cemented and rising art stars of the period such as David Wojnarowicz, Patti Astor, John Lurie, Kurtis Blow, Keith Haring, Lee Quinones, Madonna, Rei Kawakubo, Futura, Kiki Smith, Nam June Paik, David Byrne, Lady Pink, Bill T. Jones, Fab 5 Freddy, Gary Indiana, Helmut Newton, The Beastie Boys, Lou Reed, Ronnie Spector and countless others, creating a visual feast of the downtown zeitgeist that would soon spread to secondary outposts such as San Francisco and Chicago during peak circulation.

Between its crowded pages, Punk Rock and Hip Hop intermingled with street fashion and advertisements for clothing boutiques such as Trash & Vaudeville and Patricia Field, gallery openings, nightlife and legendary performance spaces such as The Mudd Club, ABC No Rio, The Peppermint lounge, Danceteria, and 8 B.C. Subsequently, the Eye became an early showcase for Hip Hop and the first publication to define the term, most notably in their January 1982 "Chilly Xmas" issue—included in the current lot. The "Chilly Xmas" issue featured the now-historic interview with Afrika Bambaataa by Michael Holman, an interview with Fab 5 Freddy, who bridged the gap between the uptown and downtown music scenes, a review by Laurie Tavis of Charlie Ahearn's influential Hip Hop film Wild Style, a centerfold by Futura titled THE ADVENTURES OF FUTURA 2000, and a spread on break dancers featuring members of The Rock Steady Crew.

The current lot features eight hard-to-find issues from Abrams' own collection during the magazine's run in the early 1980s. Cover stars include New Wave actor and Fun Gallery owner Patti Astor, The Beastie Boys, and Run-DMC, paired with witty and sardonic headlines such as Don't strain ya brain - paint a train!, Billy Idol: "I'm Not Stupid", Uprocking & Uzis After Dark, and Iggy Pop: Genius goes 'Blah Blah Blah.' Not content to stay in any one lane, the Eye also chronicled social and political issues of the day such as the AIDS crisis, housing inequality, urban crime and racial discrimination, and the effects of the feminist movement and sexual revolution.

Each issue contains breathless articles, op-eds, and reviews showcasing some of the most cutting edge talent—and sharpest tongues—working on the fringes of the metropolitan art scene, many of whom would become household names in their own right long after the Eye ceased publication.

Provenance:

The Collection of Leonard Abrams

Literature:

Morgan, Tiernan, "The East Village Eye: Where Art, Hip Hop, and Punk Collided," Hyperallergic, https://hyperallergic.com/161064/the-east-village-eye-where-art-hip-hop-and-punk-collided/ (accessed 19 March, 2022)

Condition Report:

To request a condition report for this lot, please contact pop@sothebys.com