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Fairfield Porter papers, 1888-2001, bulk 1924-1975

Creator:
Porter, Fairfield, 1907-1975  Search this
Subject:
Schuyler, James  Search this
Schloss, Edith  Search this
Rivers, Larry  Search this
Porter, Ruth W.  Search this
Padgett, Ron  Search this
O'Hara, Frank  Search this
Myers, John Bernard  Search this
Vasilieff, Nicholas  Search this
Stankiewicz, Richard  Search this
Shapiro, David  Search this
Lichtenstein, Roy  Search this
Giardelli, Arthur  Search this
Guest, Barbara  Search this
Evergood, Philip  Search this
Frielicher, Jane  Search this
Downes, Rackstraw  Search this
Elmslie, Kenward  Search this
Button, John  Search this
Day, Lucien B.  Search this
Morse, Carl  Search this
Koch, Kenneth  Search this
Laning, Edward  Search this
Katz, Alex  Search this
Hartl, Léon  Search this
Hess, Thomas B.  Search this
Burkhardt, Rudy  Search this
Brainard, Joe  Search this
Tibor de Nagy Gallery  Search this
Hirschl & Adler Galleries  Search this
Type:
Travel diaries
Sketches
Sketchbooks
Photographs
Citation:
Fairfield Porter papers, 1888-2001, bulk 1924-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Works of art  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Southampton  Search this
Painting, Modern -- 20th century  Search this
Poets  Search this
Lithographers -- New York (State)  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8946
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211133
AAA_collcode_portfair
Theme:
Diaries
Sketches & Sketchbooks
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211133
Online Media:

Kenneth Koch

Artist:
Alex Katz, born 27 Jul 1927  Search this
Sitter:
Kenneth Koch, 27 Feb 1925 - 6 Jul 2002  Search this
Medium:
Lithograph
Dimensions:
Sheet: 70.5 x 56.2cm (27 3/4 x 22 1/8")
Mat: 91.4 x 71.3 x 2.5cm (36 x 28 1/16 x 1")
Type:
Drawing
Date:
1970
Topic:
Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Male  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Literature\Writer\Poet  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Literature\Writer\Playwright  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.2000.99
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© Alex Katz/Licensed by VAGA at Artist Rights Society (ARS), NY
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4d3a8d8ea-b0aa-4433-869b-f9d31b40a9c0
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.2000.99

Hans Namuth photographs and papers, 1945-1985

Creator:
Namuth, Hans, 1915-1990  Search this
Subject:
Davis, Stuart  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred  Search this
Adams, Ansel  Search this
Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig  Search this
Breuer, Marcel  Search this
Newman, Arnold  Search this
Boynton, Jack  Search this
Krasner, Lee  Search this
Norman, Dorothy  Search this
Wyeth, Andrew  Search this
De Kooning, Willem  Search this
Picasso, Pablo  Search this
Noguchi, Isamu  Search this
Cage, John  Search this
Hartigan, Grace  Search this
Koch, Kenneth  Search this
Johns, Jasper  Search this
Rothko, Mark  Search this
Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster)  Search this
Hopper, Edward  Search this
Copland, Aaron  Search this
Rauschenberg, Robert  Search this
Navaretta, Cynthia  Search this
Pollock, Jackson  Search this
Castelli, Leo  Search this
Calder, Alexander  Search this
Shaw, Elizabeth Roberts  Search this
Karpel, Bernard  Search this
Jewish Museum (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Yale University. School of Art and Architecture  Search this
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts  Search this
Exposition universelle et internationale (1958 : Brussels, Belgium)  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Photographs
Transcripts
Place:
Massachusetts -- Boston
Citation:
Hans Namuth photographs and papers, 1945-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8069
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210240
AAA_collcode_namuhans
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210240
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Jane Freilicher, 1987 Aug. 4-5

Interviewee:
Freilicher, Jane, 1924-  Search this
Interviewer:
Shikler, Barbara  Search this
Subject:
Ashbery, John  Search this
Hofmann, Hans  Search this
Koch, Kenneth  Search this
Porter, Fairfield  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Jane Freilicher, 1987 Aug. 4-5. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11742
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212051
AAA_collcode_freili87
Theme:
Women
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212051

Kenneth Koch

Artist:
Larry Rivers, 17 Aug 1923 - 14 Aug 2002  Search this
Sitter:
Kenneth Koch, 27 Feb 1925 - 6 Jul 2002  Search this
Medium:
Pencil on paper
Dimensions:
Sheet (Accurate): 34.8 x 42.4cm (13 11/16 x 16 11/16")
Type:
Drawing
Date:
1953
Topic:
Kenneth Koch: Male  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Literature\Writer\Poet  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Literature\Writer\Playwright  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: Museum of Modern Art
Object number:
555.54 MOMA
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4cd4da60d-8073-4b3d-bbc5-5935b2d54bbe
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_555.54_MOMA

Portrait of Kenneth Koch

Artist:
Fairfield Porter, 10 Jun 1907 - 18 Sep 1975  Search this
Sitter:
Kenneth Koch, 27 Feb 1925 - 6 Jul 2002  Search this
Medium:
Oil on board
Dimensions:
52.1 × 41.3cm (20 1/2 × 16 1/4")
Type:
Painting
Date:
1970
Topic:
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair  Search this
Exterior  Search this
Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Male  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Literature\Writer\Poet  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Literature\Writer\Playwright  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Object number:
DLR01681
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm40b6263ea-16b6-43e5-9b48-a673df71c0f8
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_DLR01681

Kenneth Koch Reading

Artist:
Fairfield Porter, 10 Jun 1907 - 18 Sep 1975  Search this
Sitter:
Kenneth Koch, 27 Feb 1925 - 6 Jul 2002  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
71.1 × 66cm (28 × 26")
Type:
Painting
Date:
1966
Topic:
Printed Material\Book  Search this
Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses  Search this
Nature & Environment\Plant\Tree  Search this
Architecture\Window  Search this
Interior\Domestic  Search this
Architecture\Building\House  Search this
Home Furnishings\Curtain  Search this
Equipment\Drafting & Writing Implements\Typewriter  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Male  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Literature\Writer\Poet  Search this
Kenneth Koch: Literature\Writer\Playwright  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: Private Collection
Object number:
PC992064
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4be408ef6-5d31-439d-9a9b-f313b6bd1ecc
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_PC992064

Hans Namuth photographs and papers

Creator:
Namuth, Hans  Search this
Names:
Exposition universelle et internationale (1958 : Brussels, Belgium)  Search this
Jewish Museum (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts  Search this
Yale University. School of Art and Architecture  Search this
Adams, Ansel, 1902-1984  Search this
Boynton, Jack, 1928-2010  Search this
Breuer, Marcel, 1902-  Search this
Cage, John, 1912-1992  Search this
Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976 -- Photographs  Search this
Castelli, Leo  Search this
Copland, Aaron, 1900-1990  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this
Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-  Search this
Hartigan, Grace  Search this
Hopper, Edward, 1882-1967  Search this
Johns, Jasper, 1930- -- Photographs  Search this
Karpel, Bernard, 1911-1986  Search this
Koch, Kenneth, 1925-  Search this
Krasner, Lee, 1908-1984 -- Photographs  Search this
Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig, 1886-1969  Search this
Navaretta, Cynthia  Search this
Newman, Arnold, 1918-2006  Search this
Noguchi, Isamu, 1904-1988 -- Photographs  Search this
Norman, Dorothy, 1905-1997  Search this
Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973  Search this
Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956 -- Photographs  Search this
Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008 -- Photographs  Search this
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970 -- Photographs  Search this
Shaw, Elizabeth Roberts, 1921-  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this
Wyeth, Andrew, 1917-2009 -- Photographs  Search this
Extent:
4.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Photographs
Transcripts
Place:
Massachusetts -- Boston
Date:
1945-1985
Summary:
The papers of New York photographer and filmmaker Hans Namuth measure 4.5 linear feet and date from 1945 to 1985. The bulk of the collection consists of photographs taken by Namuth of New York artists. Also included are papers regarding Namuth's film about Alfred Stieglitz and other professional files.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of New York photographer and filmmaker Hans Namuth measure 4.5 linear feet and date from 1945 to 1985. The bulk of the collection consists of photographs taken by Namuth of New York artists. Also included are papers regarding Namuth's film about Alfred Stieglitz and other professional files.

The first series contains materials related to the planning and production of Namuth's film Alfred Stieglitz, Photographer. Documentation includes articles, correspondence, exhibition materials, grant program request sheets, magazines and catalogs, photo requests, photographs and photographic materials, notes and research, shot lists, script drafts and fragments, interview transcripts, and correspondence. Interviewees include Ansel Adams, Arnold Newman, Aaron Copland, Dorothy Norman, and others.

The second series contains various writings and papers relating to Namuth's professional activities, including Namuth's exhibition at the 1958 Brussels World Fair, business and financial records, papers on The Construction of Boston by Kennth Koch, correspondence, a notebook, and various printed materials. Namuth's correspondence is with James Boynton, Bernard Karpel, the Museum of Modern Art, Cynthia Navaretta, Elizabeth Shaw, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Yale University School of Art and Architecture.

Photographs taken by Hans Namuth depict prominent American (primarily New York-based) artists, architects, writers, musicians, and art critics. Artists are shown in their studios or homes, either at work or posing for the camera, and include Alexander Calder, Stuart Davis, Willem de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Edward Hopper, Jasper Johns, Lee Krasner, Isamu Noguchi, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, and Andrew Wyeth, among many others. Photographs of other individuals include Marcel Breuer, John Cage, Leo Castelli, Buckminster Fuller, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and others. Also found are photographs of exhibitions, openings, and art-related events from the 1950s and 1960s, such as a traveling Picasso exhibit and a Robert Rauschenberg opening at the Jewish Museum. Most photographs are black and white, but a few color prints are included.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 3 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Alfred Stieglitz Film Project, 1945-circa 1981 (Box 1, OV 11; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 2: Professional Files, 1953-1985 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 3: Photographs, 1945-1984 (Box 2-10; 3.4 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Hans Namuth (1915-1990) was a German-American photographer and filmmaker who lived and worked in New York. He was primarily known for his work photographing prominent American artists in the 1950s and 1960s.

Namuth was born in Germany but left for France in 1933 after the rise of the Nazi Party. While in France, he struck up a friendship with fellow German Georg Reisner. From 1935 to 1939, Namuth and Reisner worked together as photographers primarily in Paris. His first works to catch the public's attention came from an assignment in Barcelona that accidentally coincided with the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Following a short internment in Nazi-occupied France, Namuth left for the United States.

After taking photography classes with Alexey Brodovitch, art director of Harper's Bazaar, Namuth met Jackson Pollock at an exhibition in 1950 and asked to photograph the artist at work. His subsequent photographs of Pollock raised both artists' profiles. Namuth would spend the next three decades photographing major New York artists, architects, and art-related events for commission and for his own studio. He directed a number of films in collaboration with Paul Falkenberg and published several books of photographs. Namuth died in Long Island in 1990.
Related Materials:
Also at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Hans Namuth, Aug. 12-Sept. 8, 1971. Additional Hans Namuth papers are located at the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona.
Provenance:
The collection was donated 1972-1985 by Hans Namuth.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
All Photographs by Hans Namuth: All requests for image reproductions are to be sent to: Assistant Registrar for Rights & Reproductions; Center for Creative Photography. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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:
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Musicians -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Photographs
Transcripts
Citation:
Hans Namuth photographs and papers, 1945-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.namuhans
See more items in:
Hans Namuth photographs and papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98657f618-8639-4278-8569-19240b164357
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-namuhans

Koch, Kenneth, New York, New York

Container:
Box 3 of 7
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 00-128, National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institution), Office of the Registrar, Exhibition Records
See more items in:
Exhibition Records
Exhibition Records / Box 3
Archival Repository:
Smithsonian Institution Archives
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-sia-fa00-128-refidd1e3207

Fairfield Porter papers

Creator:
Porter, Fairfield  Search this
Names:
Hirschl & Adler Galleries  Search this
Tibor de Nagy Gallery  Search this
Brainard, Joe, 1942-  Search this
Burkhardt, Rudy  Search this
Button, John, 1929-1982  Search this
Day, Lucien B., 1916-  Search this
Downes, Rackstraw  Search this
Elmslie, Kenward  Search this
Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this
Frielicher, Jane  Search this
Giardelli, Arthur  Search this
Guest, Barbara  Search this
Hartl, Léon, 1889-  Search this
Hess, Thomas B.  Search this
Katz, Alex, 1927-  Search this
Koch, Kenneth, 1925-  Search this
Laning, Edward, 1906-1981  Search this
Lichtenstein, Roy, 1923-1997  Search this
Morse, Carl  Search this
Myers, John Bernard  Search this
O'Hara, Frank, 1926-1966  Search this
Padgett, Ron  Search this
Porter, Ruth W., 1875-1942  Search this
Rivers, Larry, 1925-  Search this
Schloss, Edith, 1919-  Search this
Schuyler, James  Search this
Shapiro, David, 1947-  Search this
Stankiewicz, Richard, 1922-  Search this
Vasilieff, Nicholas  Search this
Extent:
9.3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Travel diaries
Sketches
Sketchbooks
Photographs
Date:
1888-2001
bulk 1924-1975
Summary:
The papers of New York-based painter, lithographer, art critic, and poet Fairfield Porter measure 9.3 linear feet and date from 1888 to 2001, with the bulk of material dating from 1924 to 1975. Papers document Porter's life and career through correspondence, writings, business records, printed materials, photographs, and artwork.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of New York-based painter, lithographer, art critic, and poet Fairfield Porter measure 9.3 linear feet and date from 1888 to 2001, with the bulk of material dating from 1924 to 1975. The collection includes a biographical chronology; certificates, awards, and diplomas; letters to Fairfield and Anne Porter; scattered outgoing correspondence; and reviews, essays, notes, poems, and translations written by Porter and others. Among the writings are poetry manuscripts written by several New York School Poets including Frank O'Hara, James Schuyler, and Kenneth Koch. Also found are gallery records, inventories and appraisals, financial records, exhibition catalogs, clippings, posters, and records of Anne Porter's efforts to place his collection and document and publish his work after his death. Photographs of Porter, his homes, and his family are also present, as well as sketchbooks, loose sketches, and drawings spanning his entire career.

Significant correspondence is present from the Porters' many poet friends, including Kenneth Koch, James Schuyler, Ron Padgett, Kenward Elmslie, Barbara Guest, Carl Morse, David Shapiro, and others. Among the letters are poetry manuscripts by Koch, Morse, Schuyler, Padgett, and Shapiro. Some letters are actually written in verse, especially those from Kenneth Koch.

Artists with letters in the collection include Joe Brainard, Rudy Burkhardt, John Button, Lucien Day, Rackstraw Downes, Philip Evergood, Jane Frielicher, Arthur Giardelli, Leon Hartl, Alex Katz, Edward Laning, Roy Lichtenstein, Larry Rivers, Richard Stankiewicz, Nicolas Vasilieff, among others. Other art world figures represented include John Bernard Myers, curator at the Tibor de Nagy gallery (New York), and Tom Hess, editor of ArtNews. Artwork found within the correspondence includes an illustrated letter from Ron Padgett and an original print on a holiday card by Edith Schloss.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into the following nine series. See the series descriptions below for more information about the content of each series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1916-1975 (Box 1 and 11; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1918-1996 (Boxes 1-2; 1.2 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings by Fairfield Porter, 1924-1975 (Box 2; 0.6)

Series 4: Writings by Others, 1888-1992 (Boxes 2-3; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1944-1996 (Boxes 3-4; 1 linear foot)

Series 6: Anne Porter's Posthumous Projects, 1980-1988 (Box 4; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 7: Printed Materials, 1934-2001 (Boxes 4-6 and 11; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1880-1990 (Boxes 6 and 11; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 9: Artwork, 1918-1975 (Boxes 7-10 and 12-17; 2.2 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Fairfield Porter was born near Chicago in 1907, the fourth of five children of James and Ruth Furness Porter. His father was an architect, his mother a poet from a literary family, and Porter grew up in an environment where art and literature were highly valued. His father designed the family homes in Winnetka, Illinois and on Great Spruce Head Island, an island in Maine that he purchased for the family in 1912. Fairfield Porter spent summers there from the age of six, and views of the island, its structures, and neighboring towns were the subjects of many paintings.

Porter attended Harvard from 1924 to 1928, studying fine art with Arthur Pope and philosophy with Alfred North Whitehead. After graduating from Harvard, Porter moved to New York City and took studio classes at the Art Students League from 1928 until 1930, studying with Boardman Robinson and Thomas Hart Benton, and immersing himself in the art and radical politics of Greenwich Village. In the 1940s, he studied at Parson's School of Design with art restorer Jacques Maroger, adopting the Maroger recipe for an oil medium in his own painting.

To further his education as an artist, Porter traveled to Europe in 1931, where he spent time with expatriate art theorist Bernard Berenson and his circle. When he returned to New York, he allied himself with progressive, socialist organizations, and like many of his contemporaries, worked at creating socially relevant art. He did artwork for the John Reed Club, a communist group; taught drawing classes for Rebel Arts, a socialist arts organization; wrote for their magazine, Arise!; and created a mural for the Queens branch of the Socialist Party. Living in the Chicago area for several years in the 1930s, he illustrated chapbooks for the socialist poet John Wheelwright's Poems for a Dime and Poems for Two Bits series. Porter's financial contributions to the radical Chicago publication Living Marxism kept it afloat for several years.

In 1932, Porter married Anne Channing, a poet from Boston, and they settled in New York. The Porters had five children, and their first son, born in 1934, suffered from a severe form of autism. In the next decade, they had two more sons, and spent three years in Porter's hometown of Winnetka, where he had his first solo exhibition of paintings. When they returned to New York in 1939, the Porters became friends with Edwin Denby, Rudy Burkhardt, and Elaine and Willem de Kooning. Porter became an earnest admirer of Willem de Kooning's artwork and was among the first to review and purchase it.

In 1949, the Porters moved to the small, seaside town of Southampton, New York. Their two daughters were born in 1950 and 1956. Like the family home on Great Spruce Head Island, Southampton became the setting of many of Porter's paintings. In fact, almost all of his mature paintings depict family homes, surrounding landscapes, family members, and friends. Porter was an individualistic painter who embraced figurative art in the late 1940s and 1950s, when abstract expressionism was the prevailing aesthetic trend. Porter once made a comment that his commitment to figurative painting was made just to spite art critic Clement Greenberg, a respected critic and ideologue who had championed abstract expressionism and denigrated realism as passé.

Porter established his reputation as a painter and as a writer in the 1950s. John Bernard Myers of the vanguard Tibor de Nagy gallery gave Porter his first New York exhibition in 1951 and represented him for the next twenty years. That same year Tom Hess, editor of ArtNews, hired Porter to write art features and reviews. Porter went on to contribute to ArtNews until 1967 and also became art editor for The Nation beginning in 1959, the same year his article on Willem de Kooning won the Longview Foundation Award in art criticism. As a critic, Porter visited countless galleries and studios, and he gained a reputation for writing about art with the understanding and vested interest of an artist, and with the same independence from fashionable ideas that he demonstrated in his artwork.

The 1950s and 1960s were prolific years for Porter's writing and art, and saw the development of his critical ideas and the maturation of his painting. Porter enjoyed an elder status among a circle of younger artists such as Jane Freilicher, Larry Rivers, and Alex Katz, and their many poet friends, now known as the New York School of Poetry: Frank O'Hara, John Ashbery, James Schuyler, Kenneth Koch, Barbara Guest, and others. Porter himself wrote poetry and was published in the 1950s, sometimes alongside poems by his wife, who had been publishing poetry since the 1930s (twice in the vanguard Chicago journal, Poetry). The Porters' correspondence is laced with poems they and their friends sent back and forth, often about and dedicated to each other.

Besides his annual exhibitions at Tibor de Nagy and later Hirschl and Adler Galleries, Porter exhibited regularly at the Whitney, and had one-man exhibitions at many museums including the Rhode Island School of Design (1959), The University of Alabama (1963), Cleveland Museum of Art (his first retrospective, 1966), Trinity College (1967), the Parrish Art Museum (1971), the Maryland Institute of Art (1973), and the 1968 Venice Biennale. He also had residencies at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (1964) and Amherst College (1969). Porter died in 1975 at age 68. A full-scale retrospective of his artwork was held at the Boston Museum of Fine Art, Boston in 1983, and a study center and permanent home for his artwork was established at the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton through a donation made by Anne Porter. A posthumous collection of his poems was published by Tibor de Nagy Editions in 1985, and a catalogue raisonnée, edited by Joan Ludman, was published in 2001.

This biography relies heavily on information found in Justin Spring's biography of Porter, Fairfield Porter: A Life in Art (Yale University Press, 2000).
Related Material:
The Archives of American Art holds an oral history of Fairfield Porter conducted by Paul Cummings in 1968.
Provenance:
The papers of Fairfield Porter were given to the Archives of American Art by the artist's wife, Anne Porter, in five separate accessions between 1977 and 1997.
Restrictions:
The bulk of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not digitized requires an appointment.
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:
Art critics -- New York (State) -- Southampton  Search this
Topic:
Works of art  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Southampton  Search this
Painting, Modern -- 20th century  Search this
Poets  Search this
Lithographers -- New York (State)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Travel diaries
Sketches
Sketchbooks
Photographs
Citation:
Fairfield Porter papers, 1888-2001 (bulk 1924-1975). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.portfair
See more items in:
Fairfield Porter papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c9535998-330e-4c23-9f84-9c4dff3569e5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-portfair
Online Media:

Koch, Kenneth

Collection Creator:
Porter, Fairfield  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 59
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1968-1976, undated
Collection Restrictions:
The bulk of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not digitized requires an appointment.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Fairfield Porter papers, 1888-2001 (bulk 1924-1975). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Fairfield Porter papers
Fairfield Porter papers / Series 2: Correspondence / Incoming Letters to Anne and Fairfield Porter from:
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9067f0a1c-2b3e-4923-97c1-dcbcc55b0c53
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-portfair-ref84

Oral history interview with Jane Freilicher

Interviewee:
Freilicher, Jane, 1924-2014  Search this
Interviewer:
Shikler, Barbara  Search this
Names:
Ashbery, John, 1927-  Search this
Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this
Koch, Kenneth, 1925-  Search this
Porter, Fairfield  Search this
Extent:
2 Sound cassettes (Sound recording)
79 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound cassettes
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1987 Aug. 4-5
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Jane Freilicher conducted 1987 Aug. 4-5, by Barbara Shikler, for the Archives of American Art.
Freilicher speaks of her family background; her friendships with Kenneth Koch, Larry Rivers, Fairfield Porter and John Ashbery; studying with Hans Hofmann; making avant-garde movies; inspirations for her work; her methods.
Biographical / Historical:
Jane Freilicher (1924- ) is a painter from New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
These interviews are 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.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.freili87
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95b5f4fa8-9b55-4d0a-b3ca-fa7273266537
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-freili87
Online Media:

Fairfield Porter with poet Kenneth Koch

Photographer:
Yoscary, Bill  Search this
Subject:
Koch, Kenneth  Search this
Porter, Fairfield  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Date:
ca. 1962
Citation:
Bill Yoscary. Fairfield Porter with poet Kenneth Koch, ca. 1962. Fairfield Porter papers, 1888-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Artists in groups  Search this
Authors  Search this
Painters  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)7721
See more items in:
Fairfield Porter papers, 1888-2001, bulk 1924-1975
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_7721
Online Media:

Nell Blaine prints, Kenneth Koch poems editions of the Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York, 1953

Title:
Kenneth Koch poems
Prints Nell Blaine, poems Kenneth Koch
Author:
Koch, Kenneth 1925-2002  Search this
Artist:
Blaine, Nell 1922-1996  Search this
Author:
Smithsonian Libraries Artists' Books DSI  Search this
Physical description:
[3], 20 pages illustrations (part mounted color) 31 cm
Type:
Specimens
Linocuts
Non-adhesive bindings
Pamphlet bindings
Paper bindings
Staple bindings
Artists' books (books).)
Artists' books
Limited editions
Poetry
Prints (visual works)
Place:
United States
New York (State)
New York
Date:
1953
Topic:
Art, Abstract  Search this
Artists' books  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1060135

The New York school poets as playwrights : O'Hara, Ashbery, Koch, Schuyler, and the visual arts / Philip Auslander

Author:
Auslander, Philip 1956-  Search this
Subject:
O'Hara, Frank 1926-1966 Dramatic works  Search this
Ashbery, John Dramatic works  Search this
Koch, Kenneth 1925- Dramatic works  Search this
Schuyler, James Dramatic works  Search this
Physical description:
177 p., [2] p. of plates : ill. ; 23 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
New York (State)
New York
New York (N.Y.)
Date:
1989
C1989
20th century
Topic:
American drama--History and criticism  Search this
Art and literature--History  Search this
Experimental theater--History  Search this
New York school of art  Search this
Intellectual life  Search this
Call number:
PS255.N5 A97 1989X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_415414

Kenneth Koch, collaborations with artists : books, drawings, theater, December 1 1994 through January 14 1995 : Nell Blaine ... [et al.]

Title:
Collaborations with artists
Collaboration
Author:
Koch, Kenneth 1925-2002  Search this
Tibor de Nagy Gallery  Search this
Subject:
Koch, Kenneth 1925-2002 Exhibitions  Search this
Blaine, Nell 1922-1996  Search this
Physical description:
[12] p. : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 15 cm
Type:
Books
Exhibitions
Date:
1994
[1994]
Topic:
Artistic collaboration  Search this
Call number:
ND237.B597 K6 1994
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_636563

Locus solus

Author:
Ashbery, John 1927-  Search this
Koch, Kenneth 1925-2002  Search this
Mathews, Harry  Search this
Schuyler, James  Search this
Physical description:
v. ; 19 cm
Type:
Periodicals
Date:
1961
1962
1961-1962
Topic:
Poetry  Search this
Call number:
AP4 .L447
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_648025

Talking to the sun : an illustrated anthology of poems for young people / selected and introduced by Kenneth Koch and Kate Farrell

Author:
Koch, Kenneth 1925-2002  Search this
Farrell, Kate  Search this
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Subject:
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Physical description:
112 p. : col. ill. ; 25 cm
Type:
Juvenile literature
Date:
1985
C1985
Topic:
Children's poetry  Search this
Art  Search this
Call number:
PN6109.97.T35 1985X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_301808

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