The papers of painter Albert Kresch measure 2.7 linear feet and date from circa 1940 to circa 2000, with the bulk from the 1970s to 2010. The collection documents Kresch's work as an artist and teacher through biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, writings and notes, sketchbooks and loose drawings, professional records, photographs, and printed material. Correspondence reflects Kresch's friendships with artists Nell Blaine, Leland Bell, Wolf Kahn, Robert de Niro, Sr., Ned O'Gorman, and Stanley Lewis, and other artists associated with the Bowery Gallery, as well as with writer Mitchell Goodman and poet Denise Levertov. Writings include handwritten notes for lectures and teaching as well as unpublished writings on art and pedagogy. The collection also includes transcripts of two interviews with the artist.
Biographical / Historical:
Albert Kresch (1922-2022) was a painter and educator in New York. Kresch was one of the founding members of the Jane Street Gallery in the 1940s.
Provenance:
Donated in 2023 by Elizabeth Kresch, Albert Kresch's daughter.
Restrictions:
This collection is temporarily closed to researchers. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Nell Blaine conducted 1967 June 15, by Dorothy Seckler, for the Archives of American Art.
Blaine speaks of her family background; her competitive spirit; commercial art; becoming a "disciple" of Hans Hofmann; Hofmann as a teacher; the influence of Arp, Helion, Leger and Mondrian; the American Abstract Artists group; the Jane Street Gallery; jazz musicians; painting in Paris, Italy, Mexico, Greece, England, and elsewhere; her paralysis caused by polio; design work with Alvin H. Ross; her interest in color and light; landscape and figurative paintings; and the contemporary art scene. She recalls Leland Bell, Worden Day, Jane and Jack Freilicher, Wolf Kahn, Albert Kresch, Larry Rivers, Hyde Solomon, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Nell Blaine (1922-1996) was a painter in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Nell Blaine, 1967 June 15. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.