Correspondence regarding the St. Louis Exposition, the World's Columbian Exposition, the South Carolina Interstate and West Indian Exposition, statuary in New York City and the Library of Congress, the Washington statue in Newburyport, Mass. Letters from Robert Cushing in Italy pertain to the supervision of the execution of Ward's marble statuary group in Carrara. Correspondents include Herbert Adams, Thomas Gold Appleton, Karl Bitter, Gutzon Borglum, Daniel Chester French, Robert Underwood Johnson, Thomas Addison Richards, Edward Clark Potter, Alexander E. Orr, R. S. Chilton, Paul Dana, F. Wellington Ruckstuhll, Charles N. Thomas, C. A. Herber and Ward's wife.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Lent 1973 by New York Historical Society.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
An interview of Leo Rabkin conducted 1968 Dec. 4, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art. Rabkin speaks of his youth in Cincinnati in a Russian-Jewish family; his early study of music; teaching; his watercolor techniques; prints on plastic; the importance of the box in his life; his concern with light; his collections of wood furniture and folk art. He recalls William Baziotes, and Ad Reinhardt, and discusses his involvement with the American Abstract Artists group.
Biographical / Historical:
Leo Rabkin (1919-2015) was a painter and sculptor from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 14 min.
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.
Topic:
Sculptors -- United States -- Interviews Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Material gathered by Berkson in preparation for exhibitions on sculptors Ronald Bladen and Les Levine.
The Bladen material, compiled for a retrospective at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1991, includes: biographical material; an unpublished artists' statement, 1946; interviews of Bladen; material from the California School of Fine Art's archives, and the Whitney Museum of American Art; Bladen correspondence, 1931-1956; Berkson correspondence, 1990-1991; a painting checklist; writings by and about Bladen; photographs of Bladen's paintings and sculptures; exhibition announcements 1941-1983; and clippings and reviews, 1941-1987.
Files on Les Levine include photographs, slides, correspondence, articles, announcements, and clippings. Included are information on his media projects Subway Project (1989) and Diamond Mind.
Biographical / Historical:
Berkson is an art historian, curator; San Francisco, Calif. Bladen, a painter and sculptor, worked in San Francisco in the mid-1950s, and later moved to New York. Levine, a conceptual and video artist, and a curator, works in New York.
Related Materials:
Papers of Bill Berkson, 1960-1988, are also located at the University of Connecticut's Archives & Special Collections.
Provenance:
Donated 1991 and 1995 by Bill Berkson.
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.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- California -- San Francisco Search this
An interview of Les Levine conducted 1972 July 21-Aug. 2, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Les Levine (1935- ) is a sculptor and curator from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hrs., 16 min.
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.
An interview of Nassos Daphnis conducted 1968 April 9, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Nassos Daphnis (1914-) is a painter and sculptor in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav file. Duration is 2 hr., 14 min.
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:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
An interview of Sidney Simon conducted 1973 October 17-November 8, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Sidney Simon (1917-1997) was a sculptor and painter from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 24 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are 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.
Interview of Lucas Samaras conducted 1968 January 18, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Lucas Samaras (1936-) is a sculptor from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 33 min.
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.
Interview of Keith Sonnier conducted 1972 August 3, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Keith Sonnier (1941-2020) was a sculptor and painter from New York, N.Y. Born in Mamou, Louisiana.
General:
Originally recorded 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 5 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are 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.
Restrictions:
The transcript and recording are open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 9 min.
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. Funding for the interview was provided by the New York State Council on the Arts.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
An interview of Tony Smith conducted 1978 August 22-30, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Tony Smith (1912-1980) was a sculptor from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded 2 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 15 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are 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.
Interview of Carl Andre conducted 1972 September, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art. Andre speaks of his family and education at Phillips Andover Academy and Kenyon College and classes with Patrick and Maud Morgan. He discusses his interest in Brancusi; Ezra Pound as a critic of sculpture; the relationship between painting, sculpture, prose, and poetry; materials and methods including his "theory of masonry"; exhibitions at Hunter College, the Tibor de Nagy, Dwan, and Konrad Fisher Galleries; the appeal of Japanese art; artists' rights and art and language. He recalls his employment at the Boston Gear Works, Prentice-Hall Publishing Company, and the Pennsylvania Railroad and reminisces about Michael Chapman, Hollis Frampton, Agnes Bernice Martin, Frank Stella, Barbara E. Rose, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Carl Andre (1935-) is a sculptor from New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 9 minutes.
Provenance:
These interviews are 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.
Restrictions:
ACCESS RESTRICTED; written permission required. Contact Archives Reference Services for information.
Topic:
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Interview of George L. K. Morris conducted 1968 Dec. 11, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
George L. K. Morris (1905-1975) was a painter and sculptor in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hrs., 54 min.
Sound quality is poor.
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.
Interview of Walter De Maria conducted 1972 October 4, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Walter De Maria (1935) is a sculptor from New York, New York. Worked as an Abstract Expressionist painter early in his career before turning to sculpture. Influenced by San Francisco jazz scene of 1950s.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 19 min.
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.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Interview of William King conducted 1969 Sept. 23, by Paul Cummings for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
William King (1925-) is a sculptor from New York, N.Y.
General:
Sound quality is poor.
Provenance:
These interviews are 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.
