The Wallace Berman papers date from 1907 to 1979 (bulk 1955-1979). The collection measures 5 linear feet and presents a cursory overview of Berman's career as an assemblage artist and poet. The collection contains business correspondence, letters from other artists and writers of the Beat movement, writings by others, scattered artwork by Berman, photographs by Robert F. Heinecken, and sound recordings of poetry readings.
Scope and Content Note:
The Wallace Berman papers, 1907-1979 (bulk 1955-1979), measure 5 linear feet and present a cursory overview of Berman's career as an assemblage artist and poet. The collection is valuable not only for its documentation of the work of Wallace Berman, but for its documentation of the California beat movement of the late 1950s through the early 1970s.
Found are numerous letters, writings, poems, and other published material which portray the thoughts, attitudes, and trends popular in a prominent underground culture which eventually led to radical changes in America and American art. The collection contains business correspondence, letters from other artists and writers of the beat movement, writings by others, scattered artwork by Berman, and photographs by Robert F. Heinecken. In addition, the collection contains files for Berman's mail art publications Semina and S.M.S. Also of note is the large volume of printed material (2.7 feet), much of it in the form of books and other published material. Sound recordings include poets Michael McClure, Kenneth Patchen, David Melzer, and another unidentified writer performing their work.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into nine series which generally reflect material type.
With the exception of the letters in Series 1, each series is arranged chronologically. The original arrangement of the letters has been maintained, with a chronological arrangement of miscellaneous business letters and an alphabetical arrangement of the letters from Berman's more prominent colleagues.
Missing Title
Series 1: Letters, 1957-1979, undated (box 1, 0.5 linear feet)
Series 2: Notes from Interview, 1967 (box 1, 1 folder)
Series 3: Writings by Others, 1972, undated (box 1, 6 folders)
Series 4: Artwork, 1956-1976 (box 1, 4 folders)
Series 5: Semina, 1955-1967 (boxes 1-2, 26 folders)
Series 6: S. M. S., 1968 (box 2, 1 folders)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1907-1976 (boxes 2-5, 2.7 linear feet)
Series 8: Photographs, 1956-1976 (box 5, 6 folders)
Series 9: Sound Recordings, 1962-1965 (box 5, 6 folders)
Biographical Note:
Wallace Berman was born in 1926 in Staten Island, New York. In the 1930s, his family moved to the Jewish district in Los Angeles. After being expelled from high school for gambling in the early 1940s, Berman immersed himself in the growing West Coast jazz scene. During this period, he briefly attended the Jepson Art School and Chouinard Art School, but departed when he found the training too academic for his needs.
In 1949, while working in a factory finishing antique furniture, he began to make sculptures from unused scraps and reject materials. By the early 1950s, Berman had become a full-time artist and an active figure in the beat community in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Many art historians consider him to be the "father" of the California assemblage movement. Moving between the two cities, Berman devoted himself to his mail art publication Semina, which contained a sampling of beat poetry and images selected by Berman.
In 1963, permanently settled in Topanga Canyon in the Los Angeles area, Berman began work on verifax collages (printed images, often from magazines and newspapers, mounted in collage fashion onto a flat surface, sometimes with solid bright areas of acrylic paint). He continued creating these works, as well as rock assemblages, until his death in 1976.
Provenance:
The Wallace Berman papers were donated by Tosh Berman, Wallace Berman's son, in 1992.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Patrons must use microfilm copy. Use of audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
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.
An interview of Henry Tyler Hopkins conducted 1980 Oct. 24-1980 Dec. 17, by Wesley Chamberlin, for the Archives of American Art.
Hopkins speaks of his childhood and family background in Idaho; his education in Idaho and at the Art Institute of Chicago; his U.S. Army service as a photographer; the influence upon him of the early abstract expressionists; moving to California and getting involved in the museum community; working as a curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and developing its collection of modern works; becoming the director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the value of art appreciation over art entertainment; problems with corporate and federal support; the psychological aspects of Jackson Pollack's work; pop art; the Bay area art scene; and the role of art museums. He recalls Shirley and Walter Hopps, Ed Ruscha, Joe Goode, Larry Bell, Ed Bereal, Ron Miyashiro, Jackson Pollack, Joseph Cornell, Billy Al Bengston, Kenny Price, Robert Irwin, William Copley, Franz Kline, and many others.
Biographical / Historical:
Henry Hopkins (1928-2009) was a director of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
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.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Photographs of artists, many from the San Francisco Bay Area, taken by Mimi Jacobs.
Artists photographed: Ansel Adams, Robert Arneson, Ruth Asawa, Billy Al Bengston, Fletcher Benton, Robert Bechtle, J. B. Blunk, William Brice, Joan Brown, Imogen Cunningham, Jay De Feo, Eleanor Dickinson, Richard Diebenkorn, Laddie John Dill, Archeliat Esherick, Sam Francis, David Gilhooly, Joseph Goldyne, Robert Graham, Henry Hopkins, Robert B. Howard, John Ihle, Robert Irwin, Allen Jones, Alvin Light, Lee Mullican, Isamu Noguchi, Howard Paris, Joseph Raffael, Fred Reichman, Ed Ruscha, Betye Saar, Raymond Saunders, Richard Shaw, Louis Siegriest, Nell Sinton, Wayne Thiebaud, DeWain Valentine, Leo Valledor, Carlos Villa, Peter Voulkos, William T. Wiley, Emerson Woelffer.
Photographs of Mark Adams, William Allan, Jeremy Anderson, Ruth Armer, Charles Arnoldi, Dennis Beall, Bruce Beasley, Tony Berlant, Elmer Bischoff, Vija Celmins, Judy Chicago, Bruce Conner, Roy de Forest, Tony DeLap, Guy Dill, Claire Falkenstein, Gerald Gooch, Russell Gordon, Wally Hedrick, Tom Holland, Robert Hudson, Robert Emory Johnson, Frank Lobdell, Robert Craig Kaufman, Richard McLean, Bill Martin, Manuel Neri, Bruce Nauman, Nathan Oliveira, Mel Ramos, Sam Richardson, Michael Todd, Julius Wasserstein, Paul Wonner and Norman Zammitt.
In 1999, additional photographs were donated including many duplicates of the previous donations. These include 50 mounted photographs of West Coast artists, twenty-four of which were exhibited in 1980 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and published in 50 West Coast Artists: A Critical Selection of Painters and Sculptors (1981, Chronicle Books). Photographs are of Ansel Adams, Robert Arneson, Billy Al Bengston, Robert Bechtle, Fletcher Benton, J. B. Blunk, William Brice, Joan Brown, Imogen Cunningham, Jay De Feo, Eleanor Dickinson, Richard Diebenkorn, Laddie John Dill, Archeliat Esherick, Sam Francis, David Gilhooly, Joseph Goldyne, Robert Graham, Henry Hopkins, Robert Howard, John Ihle, Robert Irwin, Allen Jones, Alvin Light, Lee Mullican, Isamu Noguchi, Howard Paris, Joseph Raffael, Fred Reichman, Ed Ruscha, Betye Saar, Richard Shaw, Louis Siegrist, Nell Sinton, Wayne Thiebaud, De Wain Valentine, Leo Valledor, Carlos Villa, Peter Voulkos, William Wiley, and Emerson Woeffer.
Biographical / Historical:
Photographer; Kentfield, Calif.; b. 1911; d. April 1, 1999. Known in the San Francisco Bay Area for her portraits of prominent local figures, many of whom were artists. She eventually expanded her scope beyond Northern California to included artists in the Los Angeles region as well. These images were widely reproduced in books and in exhibitions and in many cases became the portraits by which the individuals were best known. Among her subjects were Ed Ruscha, Robert Graham, Peter Voulkos, Joan Brown, Isamu Noguchi, Jay DeFeo, Wayne Thiebaud, Imogen Cunningham, and Richard Diebenkorn. Several exhibitions were devoted to the photographs as independent works of art, an acknowledgement of their pictorial qualities as well as their value as documents.
Provenance:
Donated 1976-1992 by Mimi Jacobs. Additional photos, many of them duplicates of previous donations, were donated in 1999 by Leslie Fleming, Jacobs' daughter, for the Estate.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
121 Photographic prints (b&w ; color, 8 x 10 in. 11 x 14 in.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographic prints
Date:
1969-2007
Scope and Contents:
Photographs of Southern California artists, taken by Arnold Chanin.
Artists include Chuck Arnold, Florence Arnold, Robert Bassler, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, Karl Benjamin, Anthony Berlant, Natalie Bieser, Irving Block, Nicholas Brigante, Hans Burkhardt, Aldo Casanova, George Chann, William Crutchfield, George Csengeri, Dan Cytron, Yvonne De Miranda, Edie Danieli, Fidel Danieli, Richard Diebenkorn, Lucienne Bloch Dimitrov and Steve Dimitrov, David Elder, Linda Elder, Fred Eversley, Fritz Faiss, Claire Falkenstein, Keith Finch, Max Finkelstein, Tom Fricano, Hal Gebhardt, Peter Gebhardt, George Gibson, Robert Gino, Claire Hanzakos, Mike Hanzakos, Donald Hartman, Sandra Jackman, Ynez Johnston, Kaija Keel, Peter Krasnow, Edmond Kohn, Gabriel Kohn, Don Lagerberg, Linda Levi, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, Brian Mains, La Nelle Mason, John McLaughlin, Vasa Velizar Mihich, Arnold Mesches, Judith Miller, Lee Mullican, Gwynn Murrill, Peter Plagens, Bruce Richards, Betye Saar, Arnold Schifrin, Jilda Schwartz, Harry Steinberg, James Strombotne, Jan Stussy, Maxine Kim Stussy, J. B. Thompson, Joyce Trieman, William Tunberg, James Valerio, Alex Vilumsons, Gordon Wagner, Emerson Woelffer, and Janet Wullner-Faiss. Also included is one photograph of Kaija Keel, Claire Hanzakos and Jilda Schwartz and an exhibition brochure, undated, from the Arts Options Foundation "War & Peace & Clay", regarding sculpture by Keel, Hanzakos and Schwartz.
Photographs of Diebenkorn and Hans Burkhardt, one 11 x 14 in. collage print of Diebenkorn. Three of the photographs and the collage are duplicates of filmed photographs on reel 1818. Also included is one photograph of Chanin by Steve Cohen.
Biographical / Historical:
Arnold Chanin (1934-) is a photographer from Encino, Calif.
Provenance:
Donated 1975-2007 by Arnold Chanin. Additions are expected.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
The papers of Los Angeles art historian, art critic, and writer Merle Schipper measure 12.1 linear feet and date from circa 1930s to 1999. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, writing and research project files, printed material, writings by others, photographs, and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Los Angeles art historian, art critic, and writer Merle Schipper measure 12.1 linear feet and date from circa 1930s to 1999. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, writing and research project files, printed material, writings by others, photographs, and artwork.
Biographical material consists of a notebook planner and professional contact addresses, as well as Schipper's resume and bibliography. Scattered correspondence is both personal and professional with family and colleagues.
Over one-half of the collection consists of Schipper's writing, research, project, and exhibition files. There are drafts, essays, manuscripts, notes, and research documentation about California art and artists, an exhibition of craftsman William Spratling curated by Schipper, Schipper's dissertation and additional projects on Jean Helion, the exhibition Americans in Paris in the 1950s (1997), additional exhibitions, as well as transcripts of interviews with artists. The research files on Helion include an interview transcript with Willem de Kooning about Helion and correspondence with artists about Helion, including Charles Biederman, Alexander Calder, Philip Guston, Carl Holty, Jack Tworkov, and others. Additional exhibition files are found for Visions of Inner Space (1988) and Marmo: The New Italian Stone Age (1989). Artists interviewed by Schipper include Billy Al Bengston, Willem de Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Laddie John Dill, Kenneth Noland, Eric Orr, and others.
Extensive printed materials include clippings and copies of journals and periodicals containing Schipper's writings.
There are a few scattered writings by others about art and artists. Photographs are of Schipper, artists, artwork, and places, including Paris. Artwork includes one original poster print by Kiki Smith and one drawing by Matt Mullican.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 7 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1970s-1998 (5 folders; Box 1)
Series 2: General Correspondence, 1944-circa 1998 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Writing and Research Project Files, circa 1930s-1999 (7.8 linear feet; Boxes 1-9)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1933-1997 (3.1 linear feet; Boxes 9-12, OV14-16)
Series 5: Writings By Others, circa 1944-1991 (0.2 linear feet; Box 12)
Series 6: Photographs, circa 1960s-circa 1992 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 12-13)
Series 7: Artwork, 1982-1992 (0.1 linear feet; Box 13, OV16)
Biographical / Historical:
Merle Schipper (1922-2001) was an art historian, writer, and art critic active in Los Angeles, California.
Born in Toronto, Canada, Merle Solway Schipper was naturalized in Los Angeles in 1950 and received a PhD in art history from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1974. Schipper was a familiar figure on the Los Angeles art scene. Her primary scholarly focus grew out of her dissertation research on Jean Helion, but much of her writing attention was devoted to Los Angeles artists and art world events. She was a regular contributor to many art periodicals, including ArtScene, Images and Issues, Artweek, ARTnews, and the Los Angeles Daily News.
As an independent curator, Schipper's research interests led to several exhibitions, including Americans in Paris: the 50s (1979) at California State University, Northridge, Visions of Inner Space (1988) co-curated with Lee Mullican at UCLA's Frederick S. Wight Art Gallery, Marmo: the New Italian Stone Age (1989), Being There/Being Here: Nine Perspectives in New Italian Art (1991), traveling exhibition sponsored by the Italian Cultural Institute, and an exhibition of William Spratling for the Craft and Folk Art Museum in 1997. Schipper also taught and lectured at UCLA, USC, CSU Northridge, and Claremont Graduate School.
Merle Schipper died in 2001.
Provenance:
The Merle Schipper papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2002 by the Merle Schipper Estate via Schipper's daughter Amy Schipper Howe.
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.
Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
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 -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Art historians -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
An interview of Nathan Oliveira conducted 1978 Aug. 9-1981 Dec. 29, by Paul Karlstrom, for the Archives of American Art.
Oliveira speaks of his family background and ancestry; his childhood; his education; the development of his interest in art; working as a bookbinder; his inspirations from the old masters; studying with Max Beckmann and Otis Oldfield; his U.S. Army service; working with Richard Diebenkorn; getting established in galleries as a printmaker; teaching printmaking; his European travels; living in Illinois and its effect on his career; moving to California; and meeting and working with Martha Jackson. He recalls Billy Al Bengston, Ivan Albright, and Willem de Kooning, and discusses de Kooning's influence on him.
Oliveira also speaks of subject matter in his paintings, and his departure from and his later return to the human figure; the relationship between artist and model; the importance and persistence of the figurative tradition in American art; artists he admires. He recalls Keith Boyle and Frank Lobdell.
Biographical / Historical:
Nathan Oliveira (1928-2010) was a painter, printmaker, and sculptor from Stanford, Calif.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels and 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hrs., 39 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:
1978-1980 session; transcript: Transcript available on microfilm.
Two letters, from John McLaughlin and Stanton Macdonald-Wright regarding their features in LIFE magazine; and an edited typescript about Billy Al Bengston, Robert Irwin, Edward Kienholz, Roger Kuntz, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, and John D. McLaughlin by Byers and published in LIFE.
Biographical / Historical:
Writer (New York City).
Provenance:
Donated 1982 by Margery Byers.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Westermann, H. C. (Horace Clifford), 1922- Search this
Extent:
33 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2002 August 7-October 2
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Billy Al Bengston conducted 2002 August 7 and 2002 October 2, by Susan Ford Morgan, for the Archives of American Art, in subject's studio/home, in Venice, California.
Biographical / Historical:
Billy Al Bengston (1934- ) is a painter from Venice, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav file. Duration is 2 hrs., 6 min.
Sound Quality is poor. Session 2 inaudible. Interviewer did not check taping quality before taping interview.
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 administrators.
The Irving Blum Gallery and Ferus Gallery announcements consist of 32 announcements for exhibitions at the Los Angeles Ferus Gallery (1957-1966) and its successor the Irving Blum Gallery (1966-circa 1972). Exhibition announcements are for many exhibitions of southern California contemporary and pop artists, as well as New York artists. Artists represented by announcements include John Altoon, Don Bachardy, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, Robert Irwin, Jasper Johns, Donald Judd, Craig Kauffman, Roy Lichtenstein, Edward Moses, Kenneth Noland, Ad Reinhardt, Ed Ruscha, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol, among others.
Scope and Content Note:
The Irving Blum Gallery and Ferus Gallery announcements consist of 32 announcements for exhibitions at the Los Angeles Ferus Gallery (1957-1966) and its successor the Irving Blum Gallery (1966-circa 1972). Exhibition announcements are for many exhibitions of southern California contemporary and pop artists, as well as New York artists. Artists represented by announcements include John Altoon, Don Bachardy, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, Robert Irwin, Jasper Johns, Donald Judd, Craig Kauffman, Roy Lichtenstein, Edward Moses, Kenneth Noland, Ad Reinhardt, Ed Ruscha, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol, among others.
Although these announcements are scattered, they provide insight to and documentation of the southern California LA art scene and the Beat era. The exhibition announcements themselves are quite unique.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 2 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Ferus Gallery Announcements, 1961-1965 (Box 1; 20 folders)
In 1957, Walter Hopps (1932-2005) and Edward Kienholz (1927-1994) opened the contemporary art Ferus Gallery on North La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Kienholz sold his share to Irving Blum (b. 1930) one year later. Hopps left in 1962 to become curator and, later, director of the Pasadena Art Museum. Ferus Gallery closed in 1966 and Irving Blum maintained sole ownership and changed the gallery's name to Irving Blum Gallery.
Ferus Gallery was the first gallery in the Los Angeles area to show contemporary American art, and focused heavily on contemporary Southern California artists, such as John Altoon, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, Wallace Berman, Robert Irwin, Craig Kauffman, Ed Kienholz, Ed Moses, Richard Ruben, among many others. Likewise, Ferus Gallery helped to solidify the reputations of many established New York artists, including Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, Richard Diebenkorn, Andy Warhol, and others.
The inaugural exhibition at the Ferus Gallery was "Objects on the New Landscape Demanding of the Eye" (March 15 - April 11, 1957), a group show including the work of Frank Lobdell, Jay DeFeo, Craig Kauffman, Richard Diebenkorn, John Altoon and Clyfford Still. Los Angeles artists who had their first solo shows at the gallery included: Wallace Berman (1957), Billy Al Bengston (1958), Ed Moses (1958), Robert Irwin (1959), John Mason (1959), Kenneth Price (1960), Llyn Foulkes (1962), Larry Bell (1962) and Ed Ruscha (1963).
In 1957 the gallery was temporarily closed after LAPD officers arrested and charged Wallace Berman with obscenity over work in his exhibition. It was his first and last solo show.
In 1962 "Andy Warhol: Campbell's Soup Cans" was Andy Warhol's first solo pop art exhibition and the first exhibition of the Soup Cans. Five of the canvases sold for $100 each, but Blum bought them back to keep the set intact.
Irving Blum designed many of the exhibition announcements for the gallery with a graphic aesthetic.
In 2007, "The Cool School" was released, a documentary film about the Ferus Gallery and its eccentric artists.
Related Material:
Also found at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Irving Blum conducted by Paul Cummings on May 31-June 23, 1977.
Provenance:
Mrs. Rochella Orchard donated the Ferus Gallery and Irving Blum Gallery announcements on February 22, 1979.
Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
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.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- California
Citation:
Irving Blum Gallery and Ferus Gallery and announcements, 1961-1972. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
The Rosamund Felsen Gallery records measure 28.9 linear feet and date from 1949 to 2014, with the bulk of the records dating from 1978 to 2014. The records shed light on the gallery's operations primarily through administrative records, artist files, exhibition and event files, financial records, born digital material, photographs, and slides.
Scope and Contents:
The Rosamund Felsen Gallery records measure 28.9 linear feet and date from 1949 to 2014, with the bulk of the records dating from 1978 to 2014. The records shed light on the gallery's operations primarily through administrative records, artist files, exhibition and event files, financial records, born digital material, photographs, and slides.
Exhibition and event files relate to Rosamund Felsen Gallery exhibitions and performances as well as a number of art fairs and exhibitions held at other galleries and museum spaces. The files contain consignment and sales records, check lists, born digital material, photographs and slides, installation directions, printed material, and more. Financial records contain primarily sales records, invoices, some correspondence, and receipts.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as four series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1968-2013 (2 linear feet; Box 1-2, OV 30-33)
Series 2: Artist Files, 1949-2013, bulk 1978-2006 (19.7 linear feet; Box 22-25, OV 34)
Series 3: Exhibition and Event Files, 1979-2014 (3.7 linear feet; Box 22-25, OV 34-36)
Series 4: Financial Records, 1978-2014 (3.5 linear feet; Box 25-29)
Biographical / Historical:
The Rosamund Felsen Gallery was established in 1978 in Los Angeles, California by Rosamund Felsen. The gallery closed its physical location in 2016 after nearly four decades as a widely influential contemporary art gallery.
In 1960, Rosamund Felsen began her art career working as an assistant registrar for the Pasadena Art Museum, and eventually became curator of prints. Felsen also worked at Gemini GEL: Graphics Editions Limited alongside her second husband, Gemini co-founder Sidney Felsen. From these positions, Felsen became friendly with both established and younger artists, learned to mount exhibitions, and participated in art-related operations. In 1977, Timothea Stewart asked Felsen if she would like to work at her new gallery. After two exhibitions, Felsen took over the Timothea Stewart Gallery and started her own.
Rosamund Felsen gallery exhibited artists working in various mediums, including video and sound, and frequently showed live performance art. Early artists exhibited at the gallery included Richard Jackson, Keith Sonnier, Maria Nordman, Chris Burden, and William Wegman. Felsen gallery opened Robert Rauschenberg's In + Out City Limits: Los Angeles (1981) on New Year's Eve; and added artists Jeffrey Vallance, Mike Kelley, Lari Pittman, and Erika Rothenberg to its roster by the end of the 1980s. Felsen brought on a list of new artists in the 1990s, including Paul McCarthy, Renee Petropoulos, Tim Ebner, Meg Cranston, Steven Hull, and Nancy Jackson. The gallery continued to show solo and group exhibitions of its artists, and featured a run of smaller artist-curated exhibitions of local and international artists. The Project Wall exhibitions included artist/curators Andrea Bowers and Steven Hull and showed European artists Erwin Wurm and Nils Norman. By 2004, Felsen's artists were all living in Los Angeles except for two, video artists Judith Barry and Joan Jonas.
In 1990, the gallery moved from Los Angeles to West Hollywood on Santa Monica Boulevard. Four years later, Felsen Gallery moved to a location in the Bergamot Station Arts Center, where it remained until 2015. After Bergamot, the gallery moved to the Arts District in Los Angeles. Rosamund Felsen Gallery closed its physical location in 2016, but continued representing a number of artists online.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Rosamund Felsen conducted by Anne Ayres, October 11, 2004.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in several installments from 2014 to 2016 by the Rosamund Felsen Gallery via Rosamund Felsen, gallery founder and owner. Rosamund Felsen Letters and Postcards were donated in 2016 by Rosamund Felsen.
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 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.
Rosamund Felsen Gallery records, 1949-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
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 References Services for more information.
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:
Rosamund Felsen Gallery records, 1949-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
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 References Services for more information.
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:
Rosamund Felsen Gallery records, 1949-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
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:
Lee Nordness business records and papers, circa 1931-1992, bulk 1954-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collection Care Preservation Fund
An interview of Billy Al Bengston conducted 1980 September 9, by Susan Larsen, for the Archives of American Art.
Bengston speaks of his youth and education, the development of his interest in art, his short career in ceramics, his affiliation with the Ferus Gallery, the arts community in Los Angeles in the early 1950s, and his motives and methods of painting. He recalls Kenneth Price and Edward Ruscha.
Biographical / Historical:
Billy Al Bengston (1934- ) is a painter from Venice, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 20 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.
Occupation:
Ceramicists -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
An interview of Ed Moses conducted 1980 July 10-12, by Sheldon Figoten, for the Archives of American Art.
Moses speaks of his family background and early education; his childhood and its impact on him and his work; his U.S. Navy service; his education at Long Beach City College and at the University of California, Los Angeles; studying under Rico Lebrun; his friendships with Billy Al Bengston and John Altoon; the Ferus Gallery; environmental projects; living in Spain; the impact of the old masters; and his exhibitions. He recalls Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Leo Castelli.
Biographical / Historical:
Ed Moses (1926- ) is a painter from Venice, Calif.
General:
Originally recorded on 5 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 9 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hrs., 52 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 interviSews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
The records of California fine arts print publisher 3EP Ltd. founded by Moo (Mary Margaret) Anderson, Joseph Goldyne, and Paula Kirkeby measure 4.3 linear feet and date from 1970 to 1984. The records include scattered administrative files; artists' files that include correspondence, lists, price lists, and miscellany; printed materials, photographs, including two dismantled photo albums and negatives; and numerous fine arts prints by various contemporary artists, including Gordon Cook, Claire Falkenstein, Joe Fay, Sam Francis, David Gilhooly, Joseph Goldyne, Jack Jefferson, Frank Lobdell, Fred Martin, Ed Moses, Nathan Oliveira, Jay Phillips, Matt Phillips, and Joseph Zirker.
Scope and Contents:
The records of California fine arts print publisher 3EP Ltd. founded by Moo (Mary Margaret) Anderson, Joseph Goldyne, and Paula Kirkeby measure 4.3 linear feet and date from 1970 to 1984. The records include scattered administrative files; artists' files that include correspondence, lists, price lists, and miscellany; printed materials, photographs, including two dismantled photo albums and negatives; and numerous fine arts prints by various contemporary artists, including Gordon Cook, Claire Falkenstein, Joe Fay, Sam Francis, David Gilhooly, Joseph Goldyne, Jack Jefferson, Frank Lobdell, Fred Martin, Ed Moses, Nathan Oliveira, Jay Phillips, Matt Phillips, and Joseph Zirker.
Administrative records consist of chronological correspondence, subscriber lists and forms, price lists, exhibition lists, and other miscellaneous records. Business/administrative correspondence is mostly between the 3EP Ltd. founders and various museums, galleries, and collectors, with a few letters to artists. Artists' files include resumes, correspondence, catalogs, clippings, photographs and slides. Artists include Chuck Arnoldi, Billy Al Bengston, Gordon Cook, Claire Falkenstein, Joe Fay, Sam Francis, Jack Jefferson, Frank Lobdell, Ed Moses, George Sugarman, and Joseph Zirker, among many others.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 5 series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1978-1984 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 2: Artists Files, 1970-1984 (1.8 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 3: Printed Material, 1981-1984 (0.1 linear feet; Box 3)
Series 4: Artwork, 1979-1984 (1.9 linear feet; OV 4-22)
Series 5: Photographic Material, 1981-1983 (0.3 linear feet; Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
3EP Ltd. was founded by Moo (Mary Margaret) Anderson, Joseph Goldyne, and Paula Kirkeby in 1978 in Palo Alto, California. The print publisher worked with over 20 artists to produce fine art prints and monotypes and operated until 1984.
Harry W. and Mary Margaret Anderson, respectively known as Hunk and Moo, are avid art collectors with one of the largest private art collections of 20th Century American Art. Moo has a special interest in works of art on paper and prints. Moo and Paula Kirkeby, director of Smith Anderson Gallery in Palo Alto, along with San Francisco artist Joseph Goldyne formed 3EP Ltd. In addition to sales, the mission of 3EP Ltd. was to encourage experimentation with the monoprint. Anderson and Kirkeby commissioned a custom-built Takach-Garfield press for their facilities and invited artists to work with the monotype technique and printmaking, techniques that were initially unfamiliar to many of the artists who worked with 3EP Ltd. Artists invited to work at 3EP include Gordon Cook, Claire Falkenstein, Joe Fay, Sam Francis, David Gilhooly, Frank Lobdell, Ed Moses, Nathan Oliviera, Jay and Matt Phillips, and many others. 3EP Ltd. closed in 1984.
Related Materials:
The de Young Museum has a collection of 3EP Ltd. prints which are part of the Anderson Graphic Arts Collection.
Provenance:
The 3EP Ltd. records were donated in 1984 by Moo (Mary Margaret) Anderson and Paula Kirkeby. Plates received with the donation were returned to the donors.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. research facility.
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.
Topic:
Art publishing -- California -- Palo Alto Search this
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. research facility.
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:
3EP Ltd. records, 1970-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The papers of artist and educator Craig Kauffman measure 4.6 linear feet and date from 1946 to 1997. The collection comprises biographical materials including address books, 10 day journals, identification documents, oral history transcripts, student records, and a few writings; correspondence with Lisa Adams, Billy Al Bengston, Alan Lynch, Ed Moses, and Babe Shapiro; and correspondence between Kauffman and his family. Also found are records documenting Kauffman's professional and business activities; printed materials featuring Kauffman, his exhibitions, and artwork; and photographic materials and moving images that include portraits and snapshots of Kauffman, personal photographs, photos of travel and works of art, and 3 unidentified film reels.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of artist and educator Craig Kauffman measure 4.6 linear feet and date from 1946 to 1997. The collection comprises biographical materials including address books, 10 day journals, identification documents, oral history transcripts, student records, and a few writings; correspondence with Lisa Adams, Billy Al Bengston, Alan Lynch, Ed Moses, and Babe Shapiro; and correspondence between Kauffman and his family. Also found are records documenting Kauffman's professional and business activities; printed materials featuring Kauffman, his exhibitions, and artwork; and photographic materials and moving images that include portraits and snapshots of Kauffman, personal photographs, photos of travel and works of art, and 3 unidentified film reels.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as five series.
Series 1: Biographical Materials, circa 1950-1990 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1956-1996 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 6)
Series 3: Professional and Business Records, 1950-1996 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 2, 6)
Series 4: Printed Materials, 1946-1997 (2.2 linear feet; Boxes 2-4, 6, OV 7)
Series 5: Photographic Materials and Moving Images, circa 1940-circa 1980s (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 4-6)
Biographical / Historical:
Craig Kauffman (1932-2010) was an artist and educator in Los Angeles, California.
Kauffman was born in Los Angeles to Judge Kurtz and Margaret Kauffman. He attended the University of Southern California School of Architecture in Los Angeles before transferring to the University of California in Los Angeles where he received both his bachelor's degree in 1955 and master's degree in 1956.
After several years working from a San Francisco studio and associating with the leading Bay Area artists, he returned to Southern California where he became an original member of the legendary Ferus Gallery group that included artists John Altoon, Ed Moses, Ed Kienholz, Billy Al Benston, Robert Irwin, Larry Bell, and Ed Ruscha. The group was founded by Kienholz and Kauffman's high school friend Walter Hopps. Beginning as an abstract expressionist, Kauffman quickly became known as one of California's leading finish-fetish and, later, light and space artists because of his minimalist styled vacuum-formed wall sculptures using acrylic plastics.
Kauffman began teaching art at the University of California, Irvine in 1967 and retired in 1994. He was also an instructor at the School of Visual Art in New York. Throughout his career, Kauffman was an avid traveler and spent much of his retirement living in the Philippines while continuing to exhibit and create new works.
Kauffman died in Angeles, Philippines in 2010.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Lisa Adams letters from Craig Kauffman, 1986-1991.
Provenance:
The Craig Kauffman papers were donated 1997 by Craig Kauffman.
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 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.
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