Queer Histories of the Piers | David Hammons: Day's End
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- čas přidán 17. 10. 2021
- The Whitney, in collaboration with Hudson River Park, has developed a permanent public art project by David Hammons. Entitled Day's End (2014-21), this monumental installation is located in Hudson River Park along the southern edge of Gansevoort Peninsula, directly across from the Museum.
Hammons’s Day’s End takes inspiration from an artwork of the same name by Gordon Matta-Clark, who cut five openings into the Pier 52 shed in 1975. Pier 52 was one of several piers inhabited by a vibrant Queer community in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. Featuring interviews with artist and filmmaker Elegance Bratton; activist and Director of Client Services at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project Stefanie Rivera; photographer and archivist Efrain John Gonzalez; activist and performer Egyptt Labeija; and artist and art historian Jonathan Weinberg, this video recalls a time when sex, art, and creativity converged on the waterfront.
Learn more about the sculpture at whitney.org/exhibitions/david....
Listen to the Whitney's first podcast, Artists Among Us, which takes both Day's Ends as jumping-off points at whitney.org/podcast.
#daysend #queerhistory #davidhammons
I came out in 1968 and thee next year my parents sold our home on Long Island; they were done with living in the states. I wasn't ready to leave with them at the time when I was wide-eyed at new possibilties so i moved to the village and sofa surfed in the East Village. That's when I met Sylvia & Marsha. Talk about protective and caring, and in Sylvia - anger at all the injustices. Now, over half a century later I still remember what she said one night after trying to make some solidarity with Matachine and other groups: "At the end of all this, it's the street and trans communities that are going to take the hits from everybody else."
I went to the piers with my brother, must have been the early 80s. Both of us gay. He said something like “You can see all kinds of people here,” and I said, “Like a man in heels with no arms?” Because indeed there was a very tall, slim young man with long blond hair and no arms, wearing short shorts, a bikini top and high platforms, stepping over the concrete berm that was supposed to block off the pier. He was lovely. Maybe he’s reading this. Maybe someone reading this knows him.
I’d imagine if he was reading this he couldn’t type to reply lol
@@tula1433 - 🤣
@@tula1433Consider getting out more and experience life and others. You'll meet an incredible amount of wonderful people that can teach you about yourself.
Important to know the history. Even us stodgy old straight folks should do a little reading and educate ourselves on the hows, whys, whens and wheres of LGBTQ history. Some real heros in the tale. May they rest in fabulous and peaceful perfection.
Thank you.
In 1980 i was a young Dutch boy, 21 years old, staying in NY with my Israeli boyfriend who was living with his then absent brother at 12th street.
Needless to say we went out every night in the village which was then an absolutely amazing Gay place to be with inclusiveness in genders,races,cultures etc. we’ll might never seen again. It was the most sense of Gay community, no extra letters needed then, i fear we will ever have experienced. The pier was a Queer landmark. Nude sunbathing during the day and i’ll leave up to the imagination what went on later in the afternoon on the first floor of the warehouse. The most free i’ve ever witnessed. Already in ‘82 the place was closed and fenced. Big shame coz it was a harmless place. Days gone by long time ago from a different era and very warm memories from great, then not gentrified so a lot more exciting, New York city. Thanks and regards from a now also gentrified expat city, once Gay capital of Europe, Amsterdam. ❤
Moved to NYC in 86 from Paris. Had the good fortune to live on Perry Street right by the piers. Even though we were living through the Aids epidemic, NYC at that time felt so much more alive and free than Paris. So many wonderful memories of being a student at the Juilliard School and having fun exploring the city.
@@sagerie37 - I had an young American friend from NY who went to study in Paris in 1980. He got a bit depressed by the closeted attitude and lack of solidarity among Gays in Paris at that time.
I visited Paris frequently beginning 2000ths in my early forties. I had a ball. And a French colleague at work who moved to Le Pays Bas late seventies coz for him at that time Holland was much more liberal. I traveled all over France Love it and the friendly polite people. I mean that. Vive la France 🇫🇷
@louisdewitt4429: I agree; Unfortunately gentrification and the nova rich mostly straight couples with children have taken over most of the neighborhoods, not only in NYC but also Boston and other American cities where most buildings and businesses that once entertain and catered to the gay community are by now long gone! In many cases these developers even demolished blocks of concrete buildings leaving nothing standing from the past to build new homes and luxury apartments that most people today can't afford except the very straight wealthy couples . Gays today no longer have a public place to congregate and celebrate with friends and others.
And I a young English boy. It was a freedom that didn't need to be stated with extra letters: fabulous, permissive and hedonistic. Yes there were politics and protest but measured, reasonable and in proportion to need - not divisive ideology. I remember the Ninth Circle which had the energy of a nuclear reactor. At times too much for a little blonde runaway from Yorkshire but in those 3 years I experienced the essence of how you should live and then at 21: BANG!
There were several.dilapedated piers south of this one. In the middle 70's, people gravitated toward the broken down piers to.smoke weed. Up north a bit, the S&M Community would gather at Kellers..it was like a parade in the Summer. I was a Straight Teenage member of the Community and I loved ALL of New York City. The real reason why everyone gathered was for Safety. Safety and Friendship. A couple of times I sunbathed there and I had a beautiful time EVERY TIME!
Spent my wonder years as a teen coming of age on these piers in the 70s, Christopher St, among many other queer enclaves in NYC. For all of the reasons cited the Christopher St piers were a wonderful place - gay men nude sunbathing, cruising, stepping into the warehouse for full on sex, hanging out in the evenings listening to box radios all tuned to BLS or KISS and dancing, some occasionally stepping into a car with an interested driver (ya had to have "going out money"!). Such camaraderie and a sense of community. Whether I knew them or not it felt safe and like family.
Sadly the culture of the gay scene hasn’t improved. It’s gotten worse. All gays wanted back then was equal legal rights. Once gays got that via legal marriage etc you’d think the culture of casual promiscuous sexual encounters and chemsex and cruising would improve and it hasn’t. Now it’s just on apps and all about physical body and casual sex, more so then it was. At least back then two gay men would appreciate even having found one another. Now every flamboyant fem gay friend of mine wants to break gender roles and wear make up like James Charles, but then when it comes to their dating lives they are all super strict about the role they play, and waiting for a masculine straight passing total top who they can play the effeminate counterpart to. That man never comes and sadly gays tend to discriminate against each other. The flamboyant queens all refuse to date each other and would rather sacrifice their pride and let some downlow gay closet case lead them on. It’s almost all I see is my make up loving gay friends going after and seeking out downlow men for anonymous sex, rather then just dating another queen! They are all so desperate for raw real masculinity that they allow men to take advantage of their desperation and keep it no strings attached! Add in the depression stats and narcotics and drinking and it’s so sad! The constant discrimination is coming from other gays at this point! And I’m not just talking about the masc gays either! Whatever happened to “we just want to get married and be like everyone else”?
What an awesome time it was back then on the original piers and across don't forget the trucks LOL wonderful video bring back many memories for me
Thanks for remembering such an important part of our history. 💕
This video made me very nostalgic and sentimental. I grew up in NY and was introduced to the piers in the late 70s and early 80s. The piers were a place to relax, to breathe, to enjoy a space that was not encumbered by societies 'dont's'. To hear the music, see and talk to like-minded people, to feel the sun on your skin - or just to gaze at the water and clear your mind. It was glorious!!
True! but sadly it was the AIDS crisis of the early 1980's that speed fasted the demise of the piers and these fun places around the waterfront in Greenwich Village. Authorities and lots of homophobic people started using the AIDS crisis as an excuse to close down gay businesses like bars and bath houses too back then.
Kudos , I never knew about the pier until now. Thank heaven for the times that were had by all and sundry being themselves without retribution. An eye opener ; Dang. 🐨❤DD.
I really miss the days of the West Village and Christopher Street in the 80s and 90s. It’s not the same anymore. Though, it’s still great. It’s New York. But I still miss those days.
You are not alone. When I was younger I was introduced to this area. I felt highly comfortable and good about who I was.
I wish I would had known about this place in the late 1970's when I was a teenager, I had no clue about the Village, West Street, the Piers. living only 210 miles away up north in Massachusetts, no one around me ever mentioned anything about this other vibrant life. The closest I came to this world was through Christopher Street magazine which I would buy a copy every now and again.
Me too. It’s like NY has become the sort of bland US suburb that exists everywhere. Money
Thanks you for helping to remember the history of a place this museum played a part in destroying.
AIDS is what destroyed casual sex.
This doesn’t make sense
@@springsummerwinterorfallIt actually does.
Great short doc. Thank you! ❤
That was a nice era
We have always been here!
thank you for this. the piers are a part of my NYC history
WOW, so beautiful..as a frequent hanger outer at the piers..i found thisso incredibly moving..loving..& most importantly respecrful..thankyou
Thanks for this Video, I’m a Minnesota boy/ 74 yr old now ….
When I go to New York I stay at The Jane because for me it still has a small sense of that history… I’m so happy to see a piece of sculpture celebrating it!
That was a great presentation. Many thanks❤
I remember with joy! I was a 7th generation gayman from the south and this was incredible!
Thanks for this piece -- it casts the Hammons sculpture in a more profound light.
What an amazing era that was. I used to hang down there during the 70s and early 80s. Was cool seeing Sneakers, which was one of my hangouts.
Is there a book of these photographs? They are amazing and should be preserved.
Yes there is but one of the photographers mentioned: Alvin Baltrop.
It’s like a curse really everywhere there is even a small resemblance of life and something interesting happening immediately the zombie breeders come and spoil the fun.
I was 19 in 1981, newly arrived in the Village. I knew the piers were a hotbed of activity - but because it was so dark and scary, I was terrified of venturing over there. So, I never did go. Never got further than the West Side Highway. Kind of regret it now.
Thank God you never did, and May be because you are still alive and are able to write that comment. Best wishes, bro.
I used to go to the Morton Street Pier in its heyday. The buildings at one time were owned by the Erie Lackawanna Railroad so the joke about the area was, "It's kind of eerie and a lot go ona." LOL
Awesomeness
Sitting down there now is like sitting in a park in Ohio or Indiana watching the current crowds funnel off the High Line. Barry Diller's Little Island and the Meatpacking stores and restaurants. Tourists shuffle being led around by their phones. There is little left of the spaces shared by the Morton Street, 10th Street, Charles Street, #48, Bank Street and #52 piers. A well meaning bit of sculpture does not even provide a clue to the vitality of those spaces. You had to be there to know.
Yes. But now we, me 65, are old and i look at young Gay men even the ones in their thirties and they can not have a clue. Needless to say that i can not quite grasp the world and vibe they are living in.
Generation gap. Time went so fast. I could scream that to these kids but … that really makes me old and unlikely they will listen to a 1958 born boomer like me. I, Dutch and living in Amsterdam, stayed in NY in ‘80 and ‘82. Fantastic. Also Amsterdam and it’s vibes changed beyond recognition the last 20 years. As all major cities i guess. Gentrification.
@@louisdewit4429 I agree. I turned 75 last month. I have no idea how younger men live or what they do or how they meet one another. It's a different world from the one I knew. I can't help but think most men are having less sexual fun than those of us had before the epidemic but I could be wrong. I'm almost daily grateful for my times, my younger days in New York and San Francisco. I am certain that in 50 years, the young men of today will also say: "When I was young in New York, you would not believe the life we lived!"
@@mickjr270 - That’s just it. Each their own time. Our parents sort of felt sorry for us coz their time was so cozy. Quick step and Jitterbug ballroom dancing. Boy meets girl at the church choir.
@@louisdewit4429 I was talking to a Dutch friend this evening in Washington Square Park. He grew up in Amsterdam during the German bombing in World War II. He turned 90 last October. He's been in New York for over 50 years. We talked about the way both cities have changed in a half century--New York and Amsterdam. He is in good shape for 90, still riding his bike daily to the waterfront in the Village.
@@mickjr270 - Thanks. Say hello to him. We Dutch love cycling. I do it every day.
Cruisin'
We are no longer kicked in the dust
He lays it on a bit thick (divinity etc) but i appreciate the ‘memorial’. We lived and loved.
The clubs kids used to hang out there
Does anybody remember the MINDSHAFT
I do, went there on occasion. The deeper you went downstairs, the heavier it got. My hangout was sneakers that's in this video.
👏🏾👍🏾❤️
Read "Rushes"
6:05. Call them out sir!!! 😊
I’m 58 my grandaughter is Bi Sexual , and one of my grandsons is gay , although he hasnt said anything to anyone . I’m horrified to think parents could throw there kids out for being gay , I’ve seen documentaries about parents not accepting there sons ashes as he was gay and died of AIDS , omg first and foremost in life , a Woman is a mother , we love out children unconditionally . No matter what sexual preferences they have , I do understand that in the 80s when aids came out parents were ashamed and embarrassed , even the men dying of aids some themselves were shamed into hiding there health , if you’re neighbours will hate you for having a gay son , move houses , the neighbour isnt that good of a friend if they hate you’re gay son or daughter , im disabled and riddled with arthritis , but I’m at the front on Pride Day on my mobility scooter , which my husband and grandaughter put these big stickers on so my scooter is pride colours , and my massive Tshirt saying I’m. Proud Grandmother of gay grandchildren , I was born 1966 so in the early 80s I was a teenager and didn’t understand it all , but I’m telling you , if it happened now , I’d be first at the hospital door , giving these people food , water there medications, bed baths the lot , not one gay man will suffer on my watch , they lay in there beds while nurses wouldn’t touch them , pass there food to them , they just needed a hand to hold , a person to hug , F--K AIDS . I’m a hugger and hand shaker , and I’d be making those people feel loved , Kudos to those wards that opened in hospitals especially for aids patients to help them , my heart bleeds to think thousands of men died alone because people wouldn’t help them . 😢😢😢
Dis-a pier
Temples? You’ve got to be kidding
izyelk
#von.ong
I'm shocked at the rewriting and romanticisation of the 1960s through the 1980s, to cast aside the words and actions of our elders. It's not healthy to do this and to view everything through a 2020s lens - especially was the people that were there are still alive. The only people whose voices matter are those that experienced it.
So much anti-gay revisionist history in this video.
the drugs
Queer ...blah...blah..." queer" is just another affectation. It doesn't stand for my identity at all.
Good for you! You’re special! 🙄
infuriating.i was there - a gay kid meeting wanting loving. youve given my history in this vid entirely to the trans kids - certainly a small percentage of us - because its fashionable. entirely skewing our history.
No one is skewing anything. They discussed the prevalence of gay men at the piers many times. They showed dozens of pictures that proved as much. But what’s also wrong with giving a bit more focus on the most marginalized group of people within an already marginalized community? I’m a gay man and I didn’t feel that way at all and saw gay history fully emblazoned all over the beginning of this video. It naturally turned to highlighting trans women of color because, wait for it, they were also there and it’s also their history. That shouldn’t be soemthing that infuriates you.
actually they weren't there that night at stonewall.. we already saw that on another documentary tho... Marsha wasn't even on that side of town at the time,.