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Catalog Data

Interviewee:
Ferrer, Rafael, 1933-  Search this
Interviewer:
Veloric, Cynthia  Search this
Subject:
Lewis, Frances  Search this
Lewis, Sydney  Search this
Granell, Eugenio Fernández  Search this
Syracuse University  Search this
Philadelphia College of Art  Search this
Nancy Hoffman Gallery  Search this
Philadelphia College of Art  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Place of publication, production, or execution:
United States
Physical Description:
Sound recording: 4 Sound cassettes; 157 Pages, Transcript
Access Note / Rights:
Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Summary:
An interview of Rafael Ferrer conducted 1990 Sept. 19, by Cynthia Veloric, for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project.
Ferrer speaks about his childhood in Puerto Rico; his education in Catholic school and military school; his interest in music including his professional work as a drummer in Latin jazz bands both in Puerto Rico and New York City; studies at Syracuse University and the University of Puerto Rico; his interest in painting; meeting the surrealist Eugenio Granell and Granell's influence, including Ferrer's involvement in the 1950's with surrealists in Puerto Rico and Europe, and a discussion of his feelings on Dada and surrealism; the shift toward conceptual and process art in the 1960's; moving to Philadelphia in the 1960's, teaching at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) and exhibiting at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; installations and exhibits in New York City in the late 1960's and 1970's, including his twenty year association with the Nancy Hoffman Gallery; the deflected fountain piece at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the transition to handmade art works and then to painting and figurative works partially inspired by Alex Katz; collectors Sydney and Frances Lewis; and several commissions.
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Rafael Ferrer, 1990 Sept. 19. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
Transcript: 35mm microfilm reel 4777 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Funding:
The digital preservation of this interview received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Biography Note:
Rafael Ferrer (1933-) is a painter and conceptual artist from Puerto Rico and Philadelphia, Pa.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art 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.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Installations (Art)  Search this
Conceptual art  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Surrealism  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Figurative art  Search this
Art and music  Search this
Latino and Latin American artists  Search this
Theme:
Latino and Latin American  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)13548
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214382
AAA_collcode_ferrer90
Theme:
Latino and Latin American
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_214382