reanimator.

cramming everything in is an impossible task in the boroughs, so for our last evening in town we had some decisions to make. we chose wisely and met up with dory for a special appointment at the reanimation library. the library is an institution we had just learned about on this visit when we saw proprietor/heap librarian/curator, andrew beccone, speak at the adult education lectures. his talk was great and we immediately knew we were interested in the project.

housed within the greater proteus gowanus gallery and resource project (pictured above), the library was founded to house what had been andrew's personal collection of books. the focus of the library is on books and publications that have fallen out of mainstream usefulness but which possess interesting, compelling and/or strange graphic content. andrew puts its philosophy and purpose much better than i do. we were all just exited to get a tour through some of his favourite weirdness and to discover some on our own.

as it is designed to serve (mostly) as a visual resource, i was entirely overstimulated and took a lot of photos. you now have to look at too many photos, too.

for a small half-room space, it is certainly filled with material beyond my ability to absorb it. we will need to return. the craft ideas alone were worth another peruse, not to mention ideas on face bandaging, random numbers, cosmetic application and gross cooking.

andrew, himself, is a great man to visit with. he is passionate and articulate about the library and the broader thoughts behind it - and he is funny and nice. we all walked back to the subway together and took the train home chatting about travel and new york and albuquerque and the toxic gowanus canal and other things.

my head is very full at the moment. i suggest you visit this place.