The Man Who Defined 1980s New York City

MAN WHO DEFINED 1980S NEW YORK CITY

CELEBRATING DOCUMENTARIAN NELSON SULLIVAN Written by Gabrielle Gronewold, Editor in Chief and Illustrated by Riley August, Makeup Director

The Big Apple, The Capital of the World, The City of Dreams. From Broadway to the Statue of Liberty, New York City is a world renowned icon in itself: whether you care about its bagel contributions to society or its significance in social movements such as the Stonewall Riots, New York City has an inherent cultural value. Especially the New York City of the 1980s.

But what exactly is so special about New York City in the 1980s? Marvin Taylor, director of New York University’s Fales Library and Special Collection, where the Nelson Sullivan Video Collection is held, upholds the claim that “if you really want to know what it was like in the 1980s in New York, you have to watch Nelson Sullivan’s videos.”1 Born March 15, 1948, in Kershaw, South Carolina, Nelson Sullivan was an American videographer known for documenting the Manhattan club and arts scene during the 1980s. At the time of his death, Sullivan left behind nearly 1,200 hours of footage.2

Long before the modern term of “vlogging,” Sullivan capsulated the likeness of modern day icons such as RuPaul, Lypinska, The Club kids and some of the folks from the Andy Warhol scene.3

By day Sullivan, a classically trained pianist, worked at a classic music store called Joseph Patelson Music Hall, located behind Carnegie Hall. Originally, Sullivan intended to write a novel about

July 7, 2014. ² Ibid. ³ Ibid. his experiences in New York, similar to the nature of Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations.”4 Rather, Sullivan turned to his video camera, utilizing the effectiveness of emerging personal technologies and marking a shift in the way we soon began to access the experience of others.

In 1983 Sullivan began videotaping his life in its entirety—something not entirely odd by today’s influencer standards, yet rather revolutionary at the time. Sullivan would videotape his escapades at iconic Manhattan clubs like Saint, Limelight, Danceteria, the Tunnel, the Pyramid Club and Area. Equally important was the attention he brought to the broader art scene of Manhattan—Sullivan documented East Village galleries, street protests

⁴ Ibid.

and personal parties among other moments of artistic value.5

Musician Marvin Taylor shared that the cultural significance of Sullivan’s videos reaches deeper than surface level. “The club scene often gets dismissed as just partying, but the truth is and what Nelson actually shows is how much art was being created there. It was one of the last little bubbles before the internet—one of the last insular cultures that we don’t have anymore because everything has gone global and digital. He captured perhaps one of the last analogue moments in New York.”6

Sullivan’s videography captured a moment of New York City now lost in time. Whether he knew it at the time or not, the 80s in New York were painted in cultural significance and social change. Sullivan’s work also documented the continuously-changing geography of the city, from the untapped Meatpacking District to the deserted and forgotten cruising spots of the Hudson River.7

Although it may come off as just partying, the hub of nightlife in New York City historically has been a great momentum for social progressiveness and personal exploration. Duped the “Gay-rage,” the city in the ‘80s, plauged in garage house music, was a scene of many LGBTQ+ folks taking up space and challenging norms—met with a lot of adversity, including the Stonewall riots, the AIDS Epidemic, ect. Things don’t look much different today, as youth are celebrated for continuing to express themselves and even changing what the 1980s got wrong. Many parties today actually cater towards queer and trans communities of color, something not prioritized in previous generations.8

One of my favorite parts of Sullivan’s work is seeing individuals challenge gender norms through dress and personal expression during a time in which it was not very easy to do so. Sullivan’s documents such intimate moments of friendship and community of people who were being themselves and paving the way for people to continue to be able to be themselves.

In fact, RuPaul, who we now know very well culturally, is often seen in these videos, one in which Rupaul teaches

⁵ Ibid. ⁶ Ibid. ⁷ Ibid. ⁸ Mitchell Kuga, “The Scenemakers,” The New York Times, April 13, 2020. Sullivan how to be a Drag Queen.9 Today, RuPaul has a loyal fanbase and cult following to his own show, “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”10 If only Sullivan was able to see this lasting impact be unveiled.

Taking a leap of faith in July of 1989, Sullivan quit his job at the Joseph Patelson Music House to pursue his dream of having a cable TV show. On July 3rd, 1989, documented by himself, Sullivan took his dog, Blackout, for a walk with his friend Bill Moye. Upon reaching the

end of the pier, Moye and Blackout began to run, but Sullivan stayed back, sharing “I don’t feel like running today. It’s July the 3rd and it’s the last day I’m gonna have to be running.” Nelson then went on to talk about how much he was going to miss his friend Christina who had just passed away.11

Upon returning home, Sullivan enjoyed dinner with RuPaul and Lady Bunny and claimed “It’s a beautiful day Blackout, aren’t we happy!” The next morning on July 4th, 1989, Sullivan died of a heart attack.12 We will never know what beauty Sullivan would have continued to make had he fully seen through his budding ambition and admirable talent. What he did leave behind, however, has more cultural significance and innovation than many might realize. Sullivan gave us a vulnerable and intimate look into our future. One where, given the work we still must make, individuals can express themselves and dress themselves and exist however they like and one where we can pick up a video

camera at any given second and show the world what they are missing.

Although he could not live to see it, Sullivan did effectively transform and transcend a moment in time. When he passed, it was as if there was a cultural shift, and in came the next moment of NYC. There may always be parties, there may always be art and there may always be self expression, but there will never again be a 1980s New York or a Nelson Sullivan.

If you’re looking to see exactly what the 1980s in New York City looked like, please visit modamadison.com/latest/ nelson-sullivan for a list of my favorite Sullivan work. ■

Although it may come off as just partying, the hub of nightlife in New York City historically has been a great momentum for social progressiveness and personal exploration.

⁹ 5ninthavenueproject, Nelson Sullivan, “RuPaul teaches Nelson how to be a Drag Queen,” YouTube, March 16, 2011. 10 RuPaul. Rupaul Drag Race. 11 5ninthavenueproject, Nelson Sullivan, “Nelson’s Last Tape,” YouTube, March 21, 2015. 12 Ibid.