(Photo: Jason Schmidt)

1. The Rear Wall and Stained-Glass Window
Soon after moving in, the couple began renting movies and projecting them on the wall for gatherings. They sometimes find bits of old prayer books floating in the air. “The prayer books exude from the woodwork,” says Robins. Jewish tradition dictates “you are not allowed to dispose of them; they have to be buried,” she says. “So the congregation stuffed them in the walls. I collect them. I’m keeping them safe.”

2. Hanging Sculpture
Hot and Cold Wars hangs between the two balconies. Robbins made the ceramic pieces, and her husband painted and strung them.

3. The Downstairs Interior
The building’s simple, open plan was consistent with the young artists’ work and living philosophies. “When we came to New York in the early sixties, we were taught by Abstract Expressionists,” says Nozkowski. “And I remember discussing with our teachers that, you know, it was morally important to live and work in the same place. You fried eggs the same way you painted paintings.”

Related:

• Articles by Wendy Goodman
• Table of Contents: Apr 28, 2008 issue of New York | Subscribe!