Book Review / Art and Design in 1960s New York

Abstract

In Art and Design in 1960s New York, Amanda Gluibizzi, explores the intersectionality of art, design, advertising, and signage during the period of great social unrest. The 1960s were a challenging time for New York. High poverty, widespread crime, and economic decline culminated in New York City defaulting on its credit in 1975. This social turmoil coincided with the flourishing of art and design in New York, as both fields responded to an urban environment in flux. It is within this context, a city in crisis, that Gluibizzi examines the ways in which artists began to incorporate elements of the city, its design, its civic and commercial signage, into their art. Fundamental to this analysis is how the fields of art and design responded to each other during that time, and how the lines between the two fields became increasingly blurred as artists and designers pushed the boundaries of their respective fields.