Area: 1983-1987

Area: 1983-1987 

Dimensions: 12 x 9.5 x 2 inches

This book accompanies the exhibition AREA at The Hole November 2013

The fabled New York nightclub Area opened its doors in September 1983 and virtually overnight became the nexus of one of the most vibrant downtown art and club scenes in New York. Despite its short-lived history (it closed in 1987), Area was the place where A-listers from disparate worlds went to see and be seen.

Area was the brainchild of four guys from California, among them author Eric Goode, whose vision was to create an art project on a monumental scale: Every six weeks, they gutted the enormous space at 157 Hudson and transformed it with a different art theme. Their wildly creative invitations to the opening night of each new installation became the hottest tickets in town, coveted by writers and photographers who together chronicled the club’s legendary scene. Drawing from an incredibly rich archive of material, Eric and Jennifer Goode tell the behind-the-scenes story of the club and its people, creating an illustrated memoir of an exciting time and place in the annals of New York nightlife.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

Thirty years after its opening, AREA, the nightclub that defined the 1980s in New York City, and invented the nightclub as “art”, is celebrated with: AREA, a 387-page book published by Abrams, a week-long exhibit at The Hole, a dance party at the Bowery Hotel, plus an AREA-themed window at Bergdorf Goodman. The fabled nightclub opened its doors in September 1983 and virtually overnight it became the nexus of the
downtown scene in New York City. It was the place where people went to see and be seen. It was the brainchild of four young guys from California—Eric Goode, Shawn Hausman, Christopher Goode and Darius Azari. Their vision was to create an art project on a monumental scale. Every five or six weeks they gutted the enormous space at 157 Hudson Street and transformed it into a spectacularly realized theme: Suburbia, Natural History, Gnarly, Art, and Fashion, to name a few.

Curating the project—his first New York project in five years—Jeffrey Deitch reunites with former Deitch Gallery Director Kathy Grayson, founder of The Hole. He says, “AREA was both a vital part of its time and way ahead of its time in its experiential approach to art and its integration of art, music, fashion and performance.” Eric Goode adds, “We didn’t want to just recreate what happened thirty years ago. We want people to have sense of what AREA would be like today.” ABSOLUT, the iconic Swedish vodka that was a major part of the Eighties art scene partners with AREA’s founders and The Hole to bring the AREA experience to life. During the weeklong installation, the gallery will host three AREA-style parties with an anarchic take on cocktails. Alban de Pury, the brand’s Art Ambassador explains, “Our artist ad campaign of the Eighties and Nineties will never be forgotten, but today we are focused on creating art inspired experiences for our customers and fans. AREA offers the
perfect milieu.”