The Forty Deuce

by Butterworth, Bill; Ruiz, Hilton Ariel; Ruiz, Beatriz; McCormick, Carlo

• ISBN13: 9781576875780
• ISBN10: 1576875784
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-06-12
• Publisher: Powerhouse Books

Summary

In the 1970s and 80s New York was internationally renowned for its seedy underbelly; the world capital of leisure, luxury, and sin. And the epicenter of New York vice, hands down, was 42nd Street-Times Square-a.k.a. the Forty-Deuce. On any given night on the Forty-Deuce you could take in the latest blockbuster, B-movie, or skin flick; cop drugs or cop a feel. A playground for the perverse, as well as a destination for thrill-seekers and partyers from every borough of New York City and beyond, Times Square was the electric heart of the city that refused to sleep. The Forty-Deuce: Times Square 1983#x13;1984 is a series of photographs by Bill Butterworth shot exclusively in Times Square in the early 80s-capturing a gritty, glamorous, and authentic old-school New York, well before Mickey Mouse took over and scrubbed it clean. In the tradition of Jamel Shabazz#x19;s classic, Back in the Days, The Forty-Deuce showcases the timeless style of New York#x19;s first b-boys, out on the town and dressed to impress, rocking fly track suits, Adidas kicks with fat laces, oversized Cazal frames, and monster boom boxes. But it adds to the mix the Deuce#x19;s own slick pimps, strung out hustlers, and the prostitutes, strippers, and trannies all decked out in spandex and leather, not to mention the johns, that flooded 42nd Street nightly.

Author Biography

Hilton Ariel Ruiz grew up on New York City's Lower East Side. He studied photography at Queens Borough College and the Fashion Institute of Technology, and studied cinema at New York University and the School of Visual Arts, where he audited classes. Ruiz went on to found and run the Chrystie Street Gallery from 1999-2007. Ruiz is currently working on a new photography project, Boxing, as well as a film project, What Ever Happened to the Air Down Here? The True Memoirs of Gil C. Alicea. Beatriz Ruiz grew up on New York City's Lower East Side. She earned a BA from St. Johns University, and a master's degree in Political Science from NYU. Ruiz is currently working on a couple of documentaries and photo projects including Boxing, alongside Hilton Ariel Ruiz. Carlo McCormickis a pop culture critic, curator and Senior Editor ofPapermagazine. His numerous contributions to books, monographs, and catalogs includeBeautiful Losers: Contemporary Art and Street Culture,The Downtown Book: The New York Art Scene 1974-1984, andDondi White: Style Master General.His work has appeared inArt in America,Art News,Artforum, and many other publications.