You Say You Want A Revolution

You Say You Want a Revolution door banner in Astor Hall. The gallery entrance often goes unnoticed by visitors; P+A used the bold typography and palette of the exhibition to make the entrance stand out.

You Say You Want a Revolution invited visitors to the venerable site of NYPL’s main branch—the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at 42nd Street—for a comprehensive exploration of the counterculture of the ‘60s into the ‘70s. Part of a citywide celebration of the 1960s, the exhibition explored the breadth and significance of this pivotal era—from communal living and forays into expanded consciousness to tensions around race, politics, sexuality, and the environment. Items on display, drawn exclusively from the Library’s collections, included Timothy Leary’s notes on acid trips, footage of the Woodstock music festival, and posters used in protest against the Vietnam War.

Curator: Isaac Gewirtz

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You Say You Want A Revolution -Title wall and intro wall with a view toward rear of gallery.
You Say You Want A Revolution - View (left) to the “Sexuality and Gender” section showing curvilinear plywood and fabric structure.
You Say You Want A Revolution - “Sexuality and Gender” section, showing large fabric prints behind artifact cases.
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You Say You Want A Revolution - Transition from “Sexuality and Gender” to “The New Left” section.
You Say You Want A Revolution - View of “The New Left” to “War in Vietnam” with hand-painted “Give Peace a Chance” and “Power to the People” graphics visible.
You Say You Want A Revolution - View of “War in Vietnam” section.
You Say You Want A Revolution - View of the “Civil Rights and Black Power” section.
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You Say You Want A Revolution - View of “War in Vietnam” section.
You Say You Want A Revolution - View of the “Civil Rights and Black Power” section.
You Say You Want A Revolution - P+A used a Woodstock super graphic as a transition to the “Communal Living” section.
You Say You Want A Revolution - View looking toward gallery entrance into the “Communal Life” section.
You Say You Want A Revolution- The final section of the exhibition was about the Diggers, a community-action group. The wall displayed ephemera from their activities such as “Free Stores,”
You Say You Want A Revolution - View to rear of gallery showing “gradient” walls on left and right, with silver vinyl-wrapped (existing) cases and large wall graphics.
You Say You Want A Revolution - In “music niches” embedded behind title and intro walls, visitors could select period music according to the sections in the exhibition, surrounded by album covers. (
You Say You Want A Revolution - Blue Green Pure+Applied created two niches between the existing marble arches to display the entire Woodstock concert and a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar.
You Say You Want A Revolution - Orange Red Pure+Applied created two niches between the existing marble arches to display the entire Woodstock concert and a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar.
You Say You Want A Revolution - View looking across center of gallery and the “Consciousness” section.
You Say You Want A Revolution - P+A used mirrored vinyl laid atop with graphics throughout the exhibit to convey psychedelia and the kaleidoscopic nature of the counterculture.
You Say You Want A Revolution -
You Say You Want Revolution - Pure+Applied designed the You Say You Want a Revolution exhibition brochure.

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