The original sink Photo courtesy of Adrian Wilson
The Red Velvet couch upstairson the second level
View of the back of the studio and upper level Photo courtesy of Adrian Wilson
Long before Rothko was in residence, this space was known as the "Young Men's Institute." Architect Bradford Gilbert with help from Vice President Cornelius Vanderbilt II named the building in January 1885. For $4 a year, a young man between the ages of 17-35 could join the club. It was there for the physical, intellectual, and spiritual health of its members. They could go and watch lectures, concerts, debates, even talks given by Theodore Roosevelt. There was a library, with thousands of books circulating, six educational classrooms where one could learn freehand, mechanical and architectural drawing, bookkeeping, penmanship, and arithmetic. There were bowling alleys and baths, a pool and a rooftop for reading and chess. In 1932, the Y moved out as the neighborhood was in demise. In 1940 Fernand Leger moved in fleeing Normandy, where Nazi's had overtaken his studio. In 1958, The XRay Machinery Group bought the building and leased the old second-floor former gym to Rothko. The 222 Building, "The Bunker" has seen it's a fair share of iconic artists and writers through the decades. I Andy Warhol, in 1963 did his first, "anti movie" movie, pre-screening for Jonas Makes in Wynn Chamberlain's art studio, thus beginning his film career in this very the building. It was a nearly six-hour film called "Sleep" he is featuring an actor sleeping. The actor was named John Giorno, Andy's lover at the moment. Giorno, a poet, and artist, moved in the building in 1965. With CBGB's around the corner, 222 Bowery was a haunt for the downtown art set with frequent visits from Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Patty Smith. In 1971 Giorno began practicing Buddhism and in the early '80s convinced Dudjom Rinpoche to come to the States and make a Buddhist Center in the building. William Burrows famously had a studio in the old locker room from 1974-1997 until he passed away, affectionately calling the studio "The Bunker." The red velvet couch in the upper level of the studio I'm sure would give a great interview if it could speak, but we tried to avoid getting too close to it. It just lent to the series of stories left better up to your imagination in this now Landmarked space.
