With great pride, BizarrePublishing and Black Box Gallery present “Purgatory & Paradise SASSY ‘70sSuburbia & The City,” Meryl Meisler’s book launch and exhibition. Her firstbook "A Tale of Two Cities Disco Era Bushwick” received worldwideattention for contrasting Disco’s zenith and burned out yet beautiful ‘80sBushwick. “Purgatory & Paradise SASSY ‘70s Suburbia & The City” is theprequel, a photographic memoir of a uniquely American story, sweet and sassywith a pinch of mystery.
“Purgatory & ParadiseSASSY ‘70s Suburbia & The City” juxtaposes intimate images of home life onLong Island alongside NYC street and night life – the likes of which have neverbeen seen. Quirky, nostalgic and a bit naughty, it’s a genuine cultural capsuleof a decade that captivates today’s generation. The photos and storiesillustrate Meryl’s coming of age: The South Bronx, suburbia, The Mystery Club,dance lessons, Girl Scouts, the Rockettes, the circus, school, mitzvahs, proms,weddings, gay Fire Island, the Hamptons, feminists, happy hookers, CBGB, Punks,Disco, After Hours and Go-Go Bars, Jewish and LGBT Pride, street life, hometheatrics, holidays, friendship, family and love. She had to photograph it tomakesense of it all, to hold onto the time, to release and now finally share it.The ’70s were sassy, but also sweet, and so was Meryl.
Meryl’s introduction topurgatory and the importance of being open-minded, not pre-judging people, beganwith a 1957 childhood incident, being told “You can never go to heaven, thebest you can do is purgatory” because she was Jewish. That’s when Meryl learnedabout purgatory, and the importance of being open minded and not pre-judgingpeople. Meryl moved to NYC in 1975; with her first paycheck she bought anantique edition of Dante’s “Purgatory and Paradise” illustrated by GustaveDoré. She needed to “own it” literally and figuratively. Meryl carried hermedium format camera everywhere with great delight – photographing the worldshe knew on Long Island– donning childhood uniforms and costumes forself-portraits, comedic insider views of family and friends’ homes, thehilarity of her parents’ Mystery Club circle. “Not in mine eyes alone isParadise,” declares Dante in Paradiso. Many viewed ‘70s NYC as hell, purgatoryat best. With an open mind and heart, Meryl found paradise photographing thestreets and nightlife of The City, many so wild she never dared to show themuntil now.
