Zine #52

In the dark canyon of Lower Broadway on Manhattan, Isamu Noguchi’s 1968 “The Red Cube” stands precariously en point on its broad plaza, the black-box office tower behind it reduced to a backdrop for its surprisingly delicate presence. It’s a place to rendezvous that’s instantly recognizable, quietly dominating the area for blocks around. There is something about its pure geometrical form that makes it difficult to assess its size. This tilted, gored rhomboid is 24 feet (7.3m) to its top but only standing next to it do you feel how big it really is.

In 2008 we moved into a 25th floor apartment a block away from the Red Cube. I saw it from our windows every day, watching as it changed with the light, the weather, and the seasons. It is sublimely indifferent to all the people passing by singly, in groups, or in huge crowds. I found myself photographing it by itself or in the background as I made photos around the area. From 2011 to 2020, the Red Cube has cast a spell on me. Even after we left New York in 2016, I continue to make photos there whenever I’m back.

-Richard Bram

Published by Bump Books
Edited by David Solomons
Publication date: March 2021
Size: 210mm x 148mm
Cover: uncoated 170gsm digital
Text: uncoated 120gsm digital
Pages: 32
Images: 25
Printed in the UK
Edition of 200