The New York City Museum of Complaint is a collection of 132 letters written to the Mayor of New York between 1751 and 1969. Selected from the municipal archives and presented chronologically, the letters address a range of issues from dead animals in the street to swindles, capitalism, and corruption. From civil rights, adventuresses, bad luck, and broken hearts to noise and other people. These are the communiqués of dissatisfaction over the course of a citys evolution. The strength of this collection lies in its striking ability to capture the spirit of the city as defined by its critics and crusaders. New York City has long been perceived as a place where personal expression flourishes. These civic documents are historical embodiments of the language, wit and energy that helped forge the Citys reputation. From the passionate defense of street musicians to dedicated battles with drycleaners, police officers, pushcart peddlers and hooligans, a chorus emerges that articulates the challenges and inherent absurdity of metropolitan life. Matthew Bakkom was born in Minneapolis in 1968. Starting in the early 1990s, working as a visual artist in North America and Europe, he has participated in exhibitions at the Walker Art Center, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia and the Queens Museum of Art. Bakkom has received awards of support from the Jerome Foundation, The Rema Hort Mann Foundation the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the Mayors Office of Cultural Affairs of the City of Paris. The investigation of civic archives often serves as the basis for his work.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
top notch!
26 Feb 2010
By M. Wojahn
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This is a beautiful collection of the best of the 400 year archive of letters to the mayor. Wonderfully scanned by the artist M.Bakkom. I really like how on the opposing page he has the translation of the letters too, as the handwriting styles are like different dialect. If you love archive books/art you wont be disapointed.
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a captivating and beautiful book.
21 Mar 2013
By Matthew W. Botwin
- Published on Amazon.com
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Bakkom has an eye for the sublime moments of life in this city. Liliy Tomlin said that man invented language in order to complain. This book elevates the language of complaint to an art form.
5.0 out of 5 stars
wonderful
17 Feb 2013
By Mert Erogul
- Published on Amazon.com
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The letters selected from the NY city archives have been faithfully and beautifully reproduced and collectively they tell the story of individuals trying to make their case in this interesting forum. The materiality of the letters--the handwriting, the painstakingly typed paragraphs, the letterhead--is really satisfying and the content is sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, always fascinating.
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