Karen Bjornson at Studio 54.
Let's put ourselves in situation. the songs sound The Hustle background and the legendary nightclub in New York shines in the late 70s . Sexual freedom, lights, music, creativity and dancing until dawn between models, designers, artists and photographers. All glamour, that was Studio 54.
At the end of the Vietnam War and right in the midst of the vortex of social demands such as those of the LGBT movement, feminists and concern about the economic situation, New York was in a moment of total hatching both creative and social. Anything could happen.
Rents had gone down so that attracted numerous artists, fashion designers, writers and musicians to the city, fostering true cultural change and the invention of new forms of art, including musical genres such as punk, hip-hop, and disco . A cocktail that allowed people from different sexual, sociopolitical and financial strata to mingle freely in the city night clubs.
None of them exemplified it as well as Studio 54 , that although it was open only for three years , from April 26, 1977 to February 2, 1980, was possibly the most emblematic of the 20th century.
Located in a former opera house in midtown Manhattan , with an innovative stage conceived as a dance floor, it soon became a space for sexual liberation where each client could feel like a star.
The first nightly theme parties were at Studio 54.
The idea came from Brooklyn businessmen, Ian Schrager Y Steve Rubell , who met while studying at Syracuse University. The couple dreamed of opening a nightclub in downtown New York City, influenced by skating rinks, black and latin music and the underground gay clubs that were flourishing in the city at that time.
Its avant-garde decoration and its sound and lighting system differentiated it from other clubs of the time. Some of the artists who marked the 20th century were regulars there, such as Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Cher, Elizabeth Taylor r, Farrah Fawcett, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson, Mick jagger, Pat Cleveland and Truman Bonnet and.
And from there singers like Diana Ross and Donna Summer , as well as fashion designers such as Diane von Furstenberg, KENZO, calvin klein, Issey Miyake either Yves Saint-Laurent.
Pat Cleveland dancing at Halston's disco bash party in 1977.
THE EXHIBITION
'Studio 54: Night Magic' will arrive at brooklyn museum the March 13, 2020 and will remain open until July 5th . In it will be presented about 650 objects ranging from fashion, photographs, drawings and recordings.
The expectation is maximum because it is the first exhibition to chart his groundbreaking aesthetic and enduring influence on design, film and fashion.
"At a time of economic crisis, Studio 54 helped New York City change its image and set a new standard in nightlife. Today the club remains a model for social revolution, gender fluidity and sexual freedom," said Matthew Yokobosky, exhibition designer and Brooklyn Museum curator.
'Studio 54: Night Magic' it is organized chronologically. Major New York nightclubs appear first, from the 1920s to the 1960s, including Cotton Club, Tropicana, Morocco Y Peppermint Lounge , which became dynamic places that brought together groups of people from diverse backgrounds, sexual expressions and socio-political beliefs.
Sketch made by Yves Saint Laurent.
Through photography and video, the exhibition features New York City in the 1970s. A section titled The Studio 54 Experience shows the extravagant theme parties and disco legends , such as the grand opening led by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
Also the 1978 New Year's Eve party with the unforgettable performance of Grace Jones at 3 in the morning; the first anniversary party visually conceived by Issey Miyake; and movie launch events like grease (1978) and Thank God It's Friday (1978), which spawned the hit song by Donna Summer Last Dance.
Of course the Photography , as a key in the development of the room, also receives attention with unique images of Rose Hartmann, Roxanne Lowit either Richard Manning , among many others.
Likewise, more than 50 sketches of Anthony Lopez for the opening night performance of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater , which have remained hidden since 1977.