The records of Modern Multiples printmaking workshop measure 25.2 linear feet and date from the 1970s to 2017. The collection contains administrative files related to the daily operations of the print workshop, gallery, and other associated businesses owned and operated by Richard Duardo. Also included are correspondence with artists and arts institutions, as well as some personal correspondence; project and artist files; printed material; photographic material, including photograph albums; artwork; and a small amount of material related to Richard Duardo, including biographical statements, a recorded interview, and journals.
Scope and Contents:
The records of Modern Multiples printmaking workshop measure 25.2 linear feet and date from the 1970s to 2017. The collection contains administrative files related to the daily operations of the print workshop, gallery, and other associated businesses owned and operated by Richard Duardo. Also included are correspondence with artists and arts institutions, as well as some scattered personal correspondence; project and artist files; printed material; photographic material, including photograph albums; artwork; and a small amount of material related to Richard Duardo, including biographical statements, a recorded interview, and journals.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as seven series.
Series 1: Administrative Files, 1978-2013 (Boxes 1-7, OV 26; 7.1 linear feet)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1982-2014 (Boxes 7-10, OV 26; 2.6 linear feet)
Series 3: Project Files, 1981-2014 (Boxes 10-22; 12.2 linear feet)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1980-2017 (Boxes 22-24, OV 27; 1.9 linear feet)
Series 5: Photographic Material, 1970s-2000s (Boxes 24-25; 1 linear foot)
Series 6: Artwork circa 1980s-2000s (Box 25, OV 26; 0.3)
Series 7: Richard Duardo Papers 1988-2005 (Box 25; 0.1)
Biographical / Historical:
Modern Multiples is a printmaking workshop in Los Angeles founded by Richard Duardo (1952-2014). Richard Duardo, an artist and fine art printer, was prominent in the Chicano art movement in Los Angeles, California. After helping to found the Centro de Arte Publico, Duardo opened Hecho en Aztlán, which became Aztlán Multiples, Multiples Fine Art Printing, and finally Modern Multiples. His sister, Lisa Duardo, took over the organization in 2015. Along with the printing workshop, Duardo also opened Future Perfect Gallery and started Art & Commerce, a business to sell the work of up-and-coming artists. In the early 2000s, Duardo sat on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Board of Trustees and chaired the Print Commission for the Prints and Drawings Council.
Modern Multiples and its predecessor studios worked with artists including Carlos Almaraz, Banksy, Chaz Bojorquez, Shepard Fairey, Camille Rose Garcia, John Van Hamersveld, and Bob Zoell.
Provenance:
The Modern Multiples records were donated to the Archives of American Art by Lisa Duardo, Richard Duardo's sister, in 2019.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact Reference 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.
