Gregory Ain Publication Subscriptions, 2026
Plywood, metal fasteners, reproductions of Gregory Ain FBI dossier, The Daily Worker, National Guardian, The Daily Compass, and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Gregory Ain Publication Subscriptions examines the political life of Los Angeles architect Gregory Ain through the publications he read and collected. During the 1940s and 1950s, Ain subscribed to a range of left-leaning and socialist newspapers and magazines, including The Daily Worker, National Guardian, The Daily Compass, and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. These periodicals reflected his belief that architecture could serve collective needs and support more equitable ways of living – principles that guided his practice.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation began monitoring Ain in 1944 and maintained surveillance for more than fifteen years. He was placed on J. Edgar Hoover’s list of subversive individuals due to his alleged connections to the Communist Party. Hoover’s suspicions intensified after Ain began working for a subdivision of the Evans Products Company, a U.S. defense contractor. At Evans, Ain served as chief engineer of the plywood division, which manufactured wooden splints for military use. The molding techniques he helped develop there would later inform the design innovations associated with the Charles and Ray Eames Office. During his tenure at the Evans plant, a coworker reportedly eavesdropped on him and supplied the FBI with information regarding his political affiliations, employment views, and project work.
In 1950, the investigation became personal when his babysitter informed agents that he regularly received socialist publications at home. This small but revealing moment captures the anxiety surrounding political expression in postwar Los Angeles, where progressive ideas about labor, housing, and racial integration were often treated as subversive threats to American ideals.
The artwork brings together reproductions of Ain’s subscribed materials and selections from his FBI file. Installed inside of a bootlegged version of a 1x1 Eames Storage Unit, the work highlights how the United States sought to regulate reading material and architectural projects during the midst of the Red Scare. Gregory Ain Publication Subscriptions treats these materials not simply as evidence but as living documents.
Viewers are invited to interact with the reading material and remove books from the shelf.
Plywood, metal fasteners, reproductions of Gregory Ain FBI dossier, The Daily Worker, National Guardian, The Daily Compass, and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Gregory Ain Publication Subscriptions examines the political life of Los Angeles architect Gregory Ain through the publications he read and collected. During the 1940s and 1950s, Ain subscribed to a range of left-leaning and socialist newspapers and magazines, including The Daily Worker, National Guardian, The Daily Compass, and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. These periodicals reflected his belief that architecture could serve collective needs and support more equitable ways of living – principles that guided his practice.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation began monitoring Ain in 1944 and maintained surveillance for more than fifteen years. He was placed on J. Edgar Hoover’s list of subversive individuals due to his alleged connections to the Communist Party. Hoover’s suspicions intensified after Ain began working for a subdivision of the Evans Products Company, a U.S. defense contractor. At Evans, Ain served as chief engineer of the plywood division, which manufactured wooden splints for military use. The molding techniques he helped develop there would later inform the design innovations associated with the Charles and Ray Eames Office. During his tenure at the Evans plant, a coworker reportedly eavesdropped on him and supplied the FBI with information regarding his political affiliations, employment views, and project work.
In 1950, the investigation became personal when his babysitter informed agents that he regularly received socialist publications at home. This small but revealing moment captures the anxiety surrounding political expression in postwar Los Angeles, where progressive ideas about labor, housing, and racial integration were often treated as subversive threats to American ideals.
The artwork brings together reproductions of Ain’s subscribed materials and selections from his FBI file. Installed inside of a bootlegged version of a 1x1 Eames Storage Unit, the work highlights how the United States sought to regulate reading material and architectural projects during the midst of the Red Scare. Gregory Ain Publication Subscriptions treats these materials not simply as evidence but as living documents.
Viewers are invited to interact with the reading material and remove books from the shelf.