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Rent-free in the East-Village

Artist's Book
1985 (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This simply-made book deals with the emotive issue of the 'gentrification' of a rundown part of town, in this case New York's East Village. Schafroth documents how money is invested to regenerate a dilapidated area at the cost of those who have made it home precisely because it is cheap.

Schafroth juxtaposes images of the poor and homeless in their broken-down neighbourhood with lines of text suggestive of real estate advertising speak; the dark, gloomy drawings are invaded by enthusiastic, greedy-sounding sales pitches.

Taped inside the front cover of the book is a small plastic sample bag containing an old beer bottle top and a cigarette stub, at the back is a broken burnt out matchstick - souvenirs or artefacts from a place and its people swept away by 'progress'.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleRent-free in the East-Village (published title)
Materials and techniques
Printed book with found objects
Brief description
Artist's book, 'Rent-free in the East-Village', by Beatrice Schafroth, New York, 1985
Physical description
Artist's book. Chiefly illustrations.

Inside the front cover is one small plastic envelope attached with a piece of black insulating tape, containing one metal bottle top and a cigarette stub, at the back of the book half a matchstick is attached by a strip of insulating tape.

20 pages.
Dimensions
  • Height: 19cm
Summary
This simply-made book deals with the emotive issue of the 'gentrification' of a rundown part of town, in this case New York's East Village. Schafroth documents how money is invested to regenerate a dilapidated area at the cost of those who have made it home precisely because it is cheap.

Schafroth juxtaposes images of the poor and homeless in their broken-down neighbourhood with lines of text suggestive of real estate advertising speak; the dark, gloomy drawings are invaded by enthusiastic, greedy-sounding sales pitches.

Taped inside the front cover of the book is a small plastic sample bag containing an old beer bottle top and a cigarette stub, at the back is a broken burnt out matchstick - souvenirs or artefacts from a place and its people swept away by 'progress'.
Other number
X890071 - NAL Pressmark
Collection
Library number
38041989023387

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Record createdFebruary 13, 2014
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