An interview of Allan McCollum conducted 2010 February 23-April 9, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art's U.S. General Services Administration, Design Excellence and the Arts oral history project, at the Archives of American Art, in New York, New York.
Biographical / Historical:
Allan McCollum (1944- ) is a contemporary artist in New York, New York. Avis Berman (1949- ) is an independent writer in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 9 hr., 38 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 administrators.
Restrictions:
This transcript is open for research. Access to audio is restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
Authorization to quote or reproduce for the purposes of publication requires written permission Allan McCollum. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for this interview was provided by the U.S. General Services Administration, Design Excellence and the Arts.
An interview with Allen Ruppersberg conducted 2017 October 27, November 30, and 2018 January 15, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art, at Ruppersberg's studio in Brooklyn, New York.
Biographical / Historical:
Allen Ruppersberg (1944- ) is a conceptual artist In New York, New York, whose work includes paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, installations, and books. Avis Berman (1949- ) is an art historian and author in New York, New York.
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.
Restrictions:
The transcript and recording are open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for this interview was provided by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation.
An interview of Jennifer Bartlett conducted 1987 June 18-September 28, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art.
Bartlett discusses her family background and the dynamics within the family; her childhood interest in art; growing up in suburban Long Beach, California; attending Mills College and Yale School of Fine Arts; and her teachers and co-students there. She remembers in particular Elizabeth Murray, Jack Tworkov, and Richard Serra. She speaks about themes and intentions in her work, especially "Rhapsody" and various commissions including works created for ISI, Saatchi, Volvo, and Battery Park. Bartlett speaks about her writings "Cleopatra" and "History of the Universe" and their relationship to her painting. She concludes the interview with philosophical musings about art and taste.
Biographical / Historical:
Jennifer Bartlett (1941-2022) was a painter, writer, and art instructor in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 15 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 administrators.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Lorraine O'Grady conducted 2010 Apr. 12-15, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art, at O'Grady's home and studio in New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Lorraine O'Grady (1934- ) is a conceptual artist in New York, N.Y. Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former executive director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
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.
Restrictions:
This interview is access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Adrian Piper conducted 1990 Sept. 20, by Josephine Withers, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Adrian Piper (1948- ) is a conceptual artist and educator.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 2 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.
Rights:
Authorization to quote or reproduce for the purposes of publication requires written permission Adrian Piper. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview with Allana Clarke conducted 2020 August 18, by Nyssa Chow, for the Archives of American Art's Pandemic Oral History Project at Clarke's studio in New York.
Biographical / Historical:
Allana Clarke (1987- ) is a conceptual artist in Troy, New York, working in time-based media sculpture and photography. Clarke is a 2020 NXTHVN Studio Fellow.
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.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the audio is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the audio recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) Search this
Papers related to Piper's dual careers as conceptual artist and philosophy instructor. Personal letters and financial material are also included.
The Adrian Piper papers contain material related to Piper's art career includinc correspondence (1968-1988) with editors, curators, critics and others regarding museum and gallery exhibitions; lectures and panel discussions; and publications by and about Piper, mainly concerned with race and gender in art. Correspondents include Lawrence Alloway, Nancy Buchanan, Nina Felshin, Hans Haacke, Donald Kuspit, Sol Lewitt, Lucy Lippard, Rosemary Mayer, William Olander (The New York Museum), Philip Redican, Sam Samore, Terry Wolferton, and others. Subject files on the American Association of Museums, the National Endowment for the Arts panels and the New York State Council on the arts, and printed material including exhibition announcements and clippings are also included. Philosophy career related papers include correspondence (1974-1987) kept while teaching at the University of Michigan, Stanford University, and Georgetown University; and graduate school class notes, many with sketches. Personal papers include letters (1965-1990) from friends and family; and financial material such as tax returns and household expenses.
Arrangement:
I. Materials regarding Piper's art career, 1968-1988, boxes 1 to 3. II. materials regarding Pipers philosophy career, 1979-1987, boxes 4 to 7. III. personal papers, 1965-1990, boxes 8 to 10.
Biographical / Historical:
Adrian Piper (1948-) is a conceptual artist and philosopher. She taught philosophy at numerous institutions and was the first female African American philosophy professor to receive academic tenure in the United States. Piper moved to Berlin, Germany in 2005 where she now runs the Adrian Piper Research Archive (APRA). In 2012, Piper "publicly retired from being Black."
Provenance:
Donated 1990 by Adrian Piper.
Restrictions:
ACCESS RESTRICTED; written permission required. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
An interview of Dennis Oppenheim conducted 2009 June 23-24, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art, at Oppenheim's studio, in New York, N.Y. Oppenheim speaks of his work in the past 15 years; the evolution of his work and its lack of continuity; his use of writing as a catalyst for constructing works and the importance of language in conceptual art; the role of the audience and the effects of positive reaction to one's work; the risks involved in moving away from successful work to find another avenue; experimentation and the ability to exhibit failures; the emotionality and detached qualities of Abstract Expressionism during the 1950s; the experimental side of studio art in comparison to public art; the seniority felt by fine artists over the applied arts, such as architecture, during the 1950s and 1960s; listening to the public opinion, including those that do not come from the art world; the theoretical progression of works such as, "Jump and Twist," [1999], and "Device to Root Out Evil," [1997]; how to react to controversial work; his lack of representation by galleries and dealers; his staff of assistants and his more theoretical role in the operation; his lack of fellowship with other artists and his dislike of collaboration; the Venice Biennale in 1997; the Olymics in Beijing in 2008; his current work and on-going commissions. Oppenheim also recalls Andy Warhol, Pierre Levai, Vito Acconci, Bruce Nauman, Robert Irwin, Richard Serra, Alice Aycock, Keith Sonnier, and Donald Lipski.
Biographical / Historical:
Dennis Oppenheim (1938- ) is a conceptual artist and sculptor in New York, N.Y. Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is former executive director of iCI in New York, N.Y. Oppenheim was educated at California College of Arts and Crafts and Stanford University.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 31 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 administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Topic:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
The papers of Gretchen Bender measure 2.8 linear feet and date from 1980-2004. This material documents her career as a filmmaker and multimedia artist through biographical materials, correspondence, personal business records, writings, notebooks, printed material, photographs, slides and transparencies, and artwork. Also included are project files detailing Gretchen's collaborations with dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones, as well as a handwritten transcription of a conversation between Bender and Cindy Sherman.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Gretchen Bender measure 2.8 linear feet and date from 1980-2004. This material documents her career as a filmmaker and multimedia artist through biographical materials, correspondence, personal business records, writings, notebooks, printed material, photographs, slides and transparencies, and artwork. Also included are project files detailing Gretchen's collaborations with dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones, as well as a handwritten transcription of a conversation between Bender and Cindy Sherman.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1996 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence/Letters, 1985-2003 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 3: Personal Business Records, 1985-1990 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 4: Project Files, 1982-2002 (Boxes 1-2, 5; 0.9 Linear Feet)
Series 5: Writings, 1983-1988 (Box 2; 0.1 Linear Feet)
Series 6: Notebooks, 1980-2000 (Box 2; 0.6 Linear Feet)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1981-2004 (Boxes 3, 6; 0.3 Linear Feet)
Series 8: Photographs, 1984-1989 (Boxes 3-4, 0.3 Linear Feet)
Series 9: Artwork, 1984-1985 (Boxes 4, 5; 0.2 Linear Feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Gretchen Bender (1951-2004) was a New York City based filmmaker, multimedia, and conceptual artist. Bender borrowed from elements found in advertising, television, popular contemporary art, and computer graphics to explore issues of race, gender, politics, and culture in her work. During the 1990s, Bender worked with choreographer/dancer Bill T. Jones as a co-director, set designer, and filmmaker on a number of theater and television projects. Bender was a director, editor, and producer for television, primarily working on music videos. Bender participated in solo and group exhibitions at Metro Pictures and Nature Morte in New York.
Provenance:
Donated 2005 by Kate Bender, Gretchen Bender's sister.
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:
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:
Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Multimedia artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Alison Knowles conducted 2010 June 1-2, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art's Elizabeth Murray Oral History of Women in the Visual Arts Project, at Knowles' home and studio, in New York, N.Y.
Knowles speaks of her family background; her father's (an English professor) influence on her education; her love of nature and isolation as a young girl; her French studies at Middlebury College; her transfer to Pratt Institute to study art; the social and academic environment at Pratt; her inclinations towards abstraction; her first marriage to Jim Ericson; her first studio at 423 Broadway; her early jobs as a commercial artist; her first gallery show at Nonagon, in 1958, and how she subsequently burned the paintings in that show; her second marriage to Dick Higgins in 1960; her Judson Gallery Show in 1962 and how she subsequently discarded those works; her involvement in the Fluxus group; her involvement with the "Cage class," and its early performances; her collaboration with John Cage on the book, "Notations" (1968); her collaboration with Marcel Duchamp on a print (1967); the circumstances surrounding her performance piece, "Make a Salad" (1962), her travels through Europe with Higgins; the birth of her twins; her computerized poetic piece and installation, "House of Dust" (1967) and how it was later vandalized; her move to Los Angeles to teach at CalArts; the rebuilding of "House of Dust" at CalArts; her move back to New York; the processes leading up to several projects and collaborations including "Loose Pages," "Big Book," "Bread and Water," and more; where she finds her inspiration; her thoughts on performance art; her studio environment in Barrytown, N.Y.; the influence and support of Germany on her work and Fluxus in general; her recent work, including "Identical Lunch"; and current challenges she faces as an artist.
She recalls Richard Lindner, Adolph Gottlieb, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Judy Chicago, Josef Albers, Dorothy Podber, Ray Johnson, Dick Higgins, Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, Klaus Schöning, Jon Hendricks, Gilbert Silverman, George Maciunas, George Brecht, Jack Mac Low, Yoko Ono, Mieko Shiomi, Takako Saito, Joe Jones, Marcel Duchamp, Daniel Spoerri, Richard Hamilton, Nam June Paik, Charlotte Moorman, Helmut Becker, Coco Gordon, Jim Tenney, Cornelia Lauf, Rirkrit Tirvanija, Allan Kaprow, Simone Forte, Carolee Schneemann, Richard Teitelbaum, Miriam Schapiro, Miguel Abrau, James Fuentes, Cyrilla Wozenter, Kathy Kuehn, Ryszard Wasko.
Biographical / Historical:
Alison Knowles (1933- ) is an artist and a founding member of Fluxus in New York, N.Y. Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is a former director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 5 mini discs. Duration is 5 hr., 45 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 administrators.
Occupation:
Conceptual artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Dennis Oppenheim, 1995 July-Aug. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Elaine Reichek, 2008 Feb. 12. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Olympic Games (29th : 2008 : Beijing, China) Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Dennis Oppenheim, 2009 June 23-24. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Brian O'Doherty, 2009 Nov. 16-17. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Elizabeth Murray Oral History of Women in the Visual Arts Project Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Alison Knowles, 2010 June 1-2. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Robert Barry, 2010 May 14-15. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
